SEPTEMBER 13 TAO PRESS BRIEFING: REACTION TO

UNCLAS BEIJING 019407 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL CH TW SUBJECT: SEPTEMBER 13 TAO PRESS BRIEFING: REACTION TO ANTI-CHEN PROTESTS, TAIWAN'S UN BID, AGRICULTURE FORUM MOVED TO MAINLAND, CROSS-STRAIT TOURISM, 2008 OLYMPICS ¶1. KEY POINTS MADE AT THE SEPTEMBER 13 TAIWAN AFFAIRS OFFICE (TAO) PRESS BRIEFING WERE: -- THE MAINLAND HOPES TO SEE A STABLE AND PROSPEROUS TAIWAN AND WILL OPPOSE TAIWAN INDEPENDENCE AND PROMOTE CROSS- STRAIT RELATIONS TO FURTHER PEACE AND STABILITY (IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN TO OUST CHEN SHUI- BIAN). -- THE UN HAS REJECTED "FUTILE" ATTEMPTS BY TAIWAN TO GAIN REPRESENTATION IN THE UN. -- THE MAINLAND CONTINUES TO OPPOSE "SO-CALLED CONSTITUTIONAL REVISIONS" THAT PROMOTE TAIWAN'S DE JURE INDEPENDENCE. -- THE KMT-SPONSORED CROSS-STRAIT AGRICULTURAL COOPERATION FORUM PLANNED FOR OCTOBER WILL NOW BE HELD ON THE MAINLAND FROM OCTOBER 17-21. -- TAIWAN BUSINESSES ARE INVOLVED IN OLYMPIC PROJECTS AND CHINA WILL CONSIDER REQUESTS FROM TAIWAN COMPATRIOTS TO PARTICIPATE IN OLYMPIC-RELATED EVENTS. CAMPAIGN TO OUST CHEN SHUI-BIAN -------------- ¶2. TAIWAN AFFAIRS OFFICE (TAO) SPOKESPERSON LI WEIYI DEFLECTED QUESTIONS REGARDING THE CAMPAIGN IN TAIWAN TO OUST CHEN SHUI-BIAN, NOTING THAT THE TAO IS MONITORING REPORTS IN THE TAIWAN MEDIA. ASKED IF CHINA WOULD INVOKE THE "ANTI-SECESSION LAW" IN RESPONDING TO THE CAMPAIGN, LI SAID THAT THE MAINLAND HOPES FOR TAIWAN TO ENJOY A STABLE SOCIETY, STABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND A PEACEFUL AND HAPPY LIFE. WE DO NOT WANT TO SEE UNFORTUNATE EVENTS OCCUR IN TAIWAN AND WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH TAIWAN COMPATRIOTS IN FIRMLY OPPOSING TAIWAN INDEPENDENCE, MAINTAINING PEACE AND STABILITY IN THE TAIWAN STRAITS, AND PROMOTING CROSS- STRAIT RELATIONS IN THE DIRECTION OF PEACE AND STABILITY, HE SAID. FAILED BID FOR UN REPRESENTATION -------------- ¶3. LI SAID THE "FUTILE ATTEMPT" BY TAIWAN'S LOCAL LEADER TO GAIN UNITED NATIONS REPRESENTATION UNDER THE NAME "TAIWAN" IS A NEW, DANGEROUS STEP AND "FURTHER EXPOSES SINISTER ATTEMPTS TO PUSH THE SPLITTIST MOVEMENT OF TAIWAN INDEPENDENCE." SUCH ATTEMPTS GO AGAINST UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION 2758 AND ARE DESTINED TO FAILURE. LI SAID THIS IS 14TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR IN WHICH THE UN HAS REJECTED SUCH PROPOSALS, HE COMMENTED, WHICH CONFIRMS THAT THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE VAST MAJORITY OF MEMBER COUNTRIES BELIEVE THERE IS ONLY ONE CHINA, AND THAT TAIWAN IS A PART OF CHINA. �0A;PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL REVISIONS -------------- ¶4. REGARDING PROPOSED REVISIONS TO TAIWAN'S CONSTITUTION, LI SAID THAT CHINAS POSITION IS CONSISTENT AND CLEAR AND IS FIRMLY AGAINST THE "SO-CALLED CONSTITUTIONAL REVISIONS" BY TAIWANS AUTHORITIES PROMOTING "DE JURE INDEPENDENCE." XINHUA REGULATIONS ON FOREIGN NEWS AGENCIES -------------- ¶5. LI SAID THE PURPOSE OF THE NEW XINHUA REGULATIONS ON DISTRIBUTION OF SERVICES FROM FOREIGN NEWS AGENCIES IS TO "FURTHER NORMALIZE THE ORDER OF INFORMATION DISSEMINATION." IT IS ALSO TO MAINTAIN A HEALTHY, ORDERLY ENVIRONMENT TO PROTECT VARIOUS PARTIES' INTERESTS AND PROTECT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS. HE NOTED THAT CROSS-STRAIT INFORMATION EXCHANGE AND COOPERATION WOULD PROCEED MORE SMOOTHLY. CROSS-STRAIT AGRICULTURAL COOPERATION -------------- ¶6. THE CCP ACCEPTED THE KMT'S SUGGESTION TO MOVE THE CROSS- STRAIT AGRICULTURE COOPERATION FORUM TO THE MAINLAND, AFTER FAILING TO CONVENE THE FORUM IN TAIPEI AS PLANNED, LI SAID. THE FORUM AGENDA WILL NOW INCLUDE A CROSS-STRAIT AGRICULTURE COOPERATION FORUM ON HAINAN ISLAND (OCTOBER 17- 18),AN EXHIBITION PROMOTING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF COOPERATION IN AGRICULTURE IN XIAMEN (OCTOBER 19-20) AND AN INSPECTION OF CROSS-STRAIT AGRICULTURE COOPERATION EXPERIMENTAL ZONES IN VARIOUS PROVINCES (BEGINNING OCTOBER 21). LI COMMENTED THAT THIS WOULD BE A LARGE-SCALE SERIES OF CROSS-STRAIT COOPERATIVE ACTIVITIES. MOVED TO MAINLAND, CROSS-STRAIT TOURISM, 2008 OLYMPICS CROSS-STRAIT TOURISM -------------- ¶7. IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION ON MAINLAND TOURIST TRAVEL TO TAIWAN, LI SAID THAT TAO DIRECTOR CHEN YUNLIN ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE IN REMARKS MADE FOLLOWING MEETINGS WITH KMT REPRESENTATIVE TSENG YUNG-CHUAN ON SEPTEMBER 7TH. WHEN AN APPROPRIATE CIVILIAN ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN SET UP TO DEAL WITH SUCH MATTERS, THE MAINLAND WILL EXTEND AN INVITATION TO THIS ORGANIZATION TO DISCUSS MAINLAND TOURISM TO TAIWAN. THE VENUE FOR SUCH TALKS COULD BE MAINLAND CHINA, TAIWAN, HONG KONG OR MACAO. CROSS-STRAIT TRADE -------------- ¶8. LI SAID A TAIWAN MEDIA REPORT STATING THAT CHINA IS NOT WILLING TO DISCUSS THE ISSUE OF TAIWAN'S OPENING TO IMPORTS FROM THE MAINLAND WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE WTO IS INACCURATE. THERE ARE MANY TRADE PROBLEMS BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES OF THE TAIWAN STRAIT BECAUSE OF ARTIFICIAL BARRIERS CREATED BY THE TAIWAN AUTHORITIES, LI SAID. TAIWAN'S DISCRIMINATORY RESTRICTIONS ARE THE MAJOR OBSTACLE TO CROSS-STRAIT TRADE. IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION ON FOREIGN EXCHANGE RATES, LI SAID CHINA IS WILLING TO CONDUCT DIALOGUE AND NEGOTIATIONS PROMOTING CROSS-STRAIT FINANCIAL COOPERATION. IN RESPONSE TO A SEPARATE QUESTION, LI SAID THE MAINLAND HAD ADOPTED SOME POSITIVE MEASURES TO ASSIST TAIWAN AGRICULTURAL ENTERPRISES IN INVESTING IN THE MAINLAND. TAIWAN PARTICIPATION IN 2008 OLYMPICS -------------- ¶9. WHEN ASKED BY CCTV IF TAIWAN BUSINESSES WERE INVOLVED IN OLYMPIC PROJECTS, LI RESPONDED THAT SOME TAIWAN BUSINESSES, SUCH AS THE TONGYI GROUP, ARE ALREADY PARTICIPATING IN OLYMPIC PROJECTS. IN THE FUTURE, THERE WILL BE MORE NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN THE OLYMPIC ORGANIZING COMMITTEE AND TAIWAN BUSINESSES. IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION ABOUT THE OLYMPIC TORCH PASSING THROUGH TAIWAN EN ROUTE TO BEIJING, LI SAID THAT CHINA WILL CONSIDER REQUESTS FROM TAIWAN COMPATRIOTS TO SHARE IN CHINA'S HAPPINESS IN HOSTING THE OLYMPICS. THE TRAVEL ROUTE OF THE TORCH MUST BE APPROVED BY THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE, HE STATED. TAIWAN TOURISTS KILLED IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENT -------------- ¶10. LI LED THE BRIEFING WITH A STATEMENT ABOUT A SEPTEMBER 11 TRAFFIC ACCIDENT IN JILIN, IN WHICH TWO TOURISTS FROM TAIWAN WERE KILLED. THE STATEMENT STRESSED THE RAPID RESPONSE OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES TO THE ACCIDENT AND THE CAREFUL ATTENTION PAID TO THE WELFARE OF THE 20 TAIWAN TOURISTS WHO WERE INVOLVED IN THE CRASH. THE ASSOCIATION FOR RELATIONS ACROSS THE TAIWAN STRAITS (ARATS) HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE RELEVANT DEPARTMENTS TO ASSIST WITH NECESSARY FORMALITIES, LI NOTED. RANDT