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.

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