President Chen calls for restraint on cross-strait provocation

Penghu, Feb. 11, 2003 (CENS)--President Chen Shui-bian yesterday gave his new definition about the direct flight services across the Taiwan Strait and encouraged Taiwanese investors in mainland China to set up their corporate headquarters in Taiwan.

The president made the remarks at the annual Chinese New Year dinner party with senior executives of major Taiwan trade associations set up on the mainland. Many of the business executives have taken chartered flights back to Taiwan and then to Penghu to attend the meeting.


When commenting on the much anticipated opening of direct cross-strait air and shipping links, Chen stressed that the direct flight services across the Taiwan Strait do not equal to direct flights.

Chen said that direct air links do not necessarily have to follow "straight flight lines." For instance, he said, flights between Taipei City and Makung City of the offshore Penghu County do not follow a rigid straight route in order to avoid the potentially sensitive mid-line of the Taiwan Strait.

"We must take into account national security and overall interests in evaluating the direct transportation links issue, " Chen said, adding that the government will unveil an evaluation report concerning the issue for public debate and discussion as early as possible.

President Chen said the two sides of the Taiwan Strait should refrain from sparking any controversy with provocative actions. "If we avoid touching on any controversial or provocative proposals, many cross-strait issues can be gradually resolved," he explained.

He said Taiwan is unlikely to provoke the mainland so long as Beijing refrains from taking such actions against Taiwan. "And this self-restraint is the basis for peace and stability in cross-strait relations."

Chen repeated his criticism against Beijing's upholding of rigid principles that block the further improvement in cross-strait ties. He said that if Beijing insists on its "one China" principle, there will certainly be people who advocate Taiwan independence on the island. "And if the other side advocates its 'one country, two systems' unification formula, it would be logical that the other side will promote 'one side, one country.' formula"

He urged the investors to give Taiwan the priority in make their new investments. He said Taiwan is the true fatherland of Taiwanese businessmen, who may use the island as the base for their corporate headquarters and use the mainland as a business bastion to make profits there.

Addressing the same gathering, Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), explained that the government is working on a plan to set up direct cross-strait flight mechanism in which the planes do not have to land in a third area but have to go through a third flight information zone.

Such an arrangement is for the sake of national security. But it will also save flight time for people traveling between Taiwan and the mainland. She did not deny press reports that an MAC evaluation report will present several optional flight routes for direct cross-strait air links, including the Ministry of National Defense's proposal that the existing cross-strait air flight routes should be maintained.

Although Tsai said future cross-strait flights may not necessarily detour to a third place, she said the timing for opening such non-stop direct air links will still hinge on Beijing's willingness to resume formal bilateral consultations with Taiwan. Beijing has so far refused to resume formal dialogue with Taipei.