MAC OFFICIAL EMPHASIZES SEMI-OFFICIAL NATURE OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 TAIPEI 002991 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE PASS USTR STATE FOR EAP/TC COMMERCE FOR 3132/USFCS/OIO/EAP/WZARIT TREASURY FOR OASIA/LMOGHTADER USTR FOR STRATFORD, ALTBACH E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/30/2016 TAGS: ECON EINV PREL TW CH SUBJECT: MAC OFFICIAL EMPHASIZES SEMI-OFFICIAL NATURE OF TOURISM DISCUSSIONS REF: A. TAIPEI 2919 ¶B. TAIPEI 2923 ¶C. TAIPEI 2950 Classified By: AIT Deputy Director Robert S. Wang, Reason 1.4 d ¶1. (C) Summary: Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Economic Division Director Fu Don-cheng emphasized the semi- official status of a new organization that will represent Taiwan in tourism discussions with the PRC as an advance for Taiwan in cross-Strait relations. Because the chairman of the new organization is also Director General of Taiwan's Tourism Bureau, a Taiwan official will sign the agreement that eventually emerges from the discussions, in contrast to previous agreements on charter flights. Fu predicts that the two sides will reach an agreement before the end of the year. An agreement on frequent charter flights should follow close behind. Fu also raised Taiwan's desire to launch talks with the United States on a free trade agreement. End summary. ¶2. (C) MAC formally announced on August 25 the formation of a new organization that will serve as Taiwan's window for cross-Strait discussions with the PRC on further opening Taiwan to tourists from the Mainland. The new organization, called the Across the Taiwan Strait Tourism Association (AIT translation, pinyin: Taiwan Haixia Liangan Guanguang Xiehui),was created as a counterpart for the Mainland's Cross-Strait Travel Exchanges Association (CSTEA, pinyin: Haixia Liangan Luyou Jiaoliu Xiehui). The CSTEA was founded earlier this month. Semi-official Victory -------------- ¶3. (C) In an August 29 meeting with AIT econoff, MAC Economic Division Director Fu Don-cheng highlighted the semi-official nature of the new organization, describing it as an advance for Taiwan over the model used to negotiate earlier charter flight agreements. Fu noted that four of the organization's board members would be government officials, including the chairman, Hsu Weh- sheng, who is also the director general of Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications. The other government officials on the board include the deputy director general and a division chief from the Tourism Bureau as well as the deputy commissioner of the Ministry of Interior's Immigration Office. Fu complained, however, that the PRC had refused to permit MAC officials to participate directly. MAC officials were previously excluded from formal cross-Strait consultations on charter flights as well. ¶4. (C) Fu commented that the most important breakthrough was the fact that because the new organization's chairman is also a government official, the final agreement with the PRC will be signed by a Taiwan government official. This differs from previous agreements on charter flights, which were signed by the chairman of the Taipei Airlines Association (TAA). TAA is a completely private organization. Its chair is held by the head of one of Taiwan's six airlines on a rotational basis. Taiwan officials participated in cross-Strait charter flight discussions only as consultants to TAA. ¶5. (C) To further underscore the new organization's semi- official nature, Fu pointed out that most of its funding came from the Taiwan authorities. The Tourism Bureau provided NT$ 500,000 in funding while each of the three private associations that are members of the new organizations provided NT$ 100,000. The three private associations are the Travel Agents Association of Taiwan, the Travel Quality Association and the Taiwan Visitors Association. (Note: the Taiwan Visitors Association also receives substantial funding from the Taiwan authorities. End note.) Progress This Year TAIPEI 00002991 002 OF 003 -------------- ¶6. (C) Fu predicted that the two sides should be able to reach an agreement on further opening Taiwan to PRC tourists by the end of the year. Many in Taiwan's tourism industry have hoped that PRC tourists could begin arriving in larger numbers by the Mid-Autumn Festival, enabling them to use charter flights planned for the holiday. Fu indicated that an agreement would not be reached in time for more arrivals in October. He said that it will still take some time for the two sides to work out technical issues such as identification documents, procedures for dealing with illegal entries and overstays, the qualifications for entry, and procedures for dealing with commercial disputes. He also noted that it would take about one month from the time an agreement is finalized before more travelers begin to arrive. Charter Flights Will Follow Close Behind -------------- ¶7. (C) Although cross-Strait charter flight discussions are taking place on a separate track, Fu explained that those discussions are running parallel to discussions on tourism. He commented that an agreement on more frequent charter flights should follow soon after an agreement on tourism is reached. As an aside, Fu said that MAC chooses not to refer to "regularized charter flights" (changtaihua de baoji) in deference to Taiwan Solidarity Union objections to the possible use of "regularized charter flights" to substitute for formal direct aviation links. Nevertheless, the frequent charter flights that Fu discussed appear to be the same "regularized charter flights" as described by others. Investment Liberalization Depends on Politics -------------- ¶8. (C) When asked about cross-Strait investment restrictions on the semiconductor industry, Fu said further liberalization would have to wait for a more opportune political environment. He acknowledged that the Conference on Sustaining Taiwan's Economic Development in late July had reached a consensus to permit investment using more advanced 0.18-micron technology and that restrictions on such technology under the Wassenaar Arrangement had been eliminated some time ago. He also pointed out that MAC, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Executive Yuan had all agreed that the restriction on 0.18-micron technology could be lifted. However, he said MAC would have to wait for the right moment politically before making an announcement. Fu also ran down the long list of political events that have held up this announcement in the past; including the PRC's passage of the Anti-Secession Law, December 2004 Legislative Yuan elections, and December 2005 Island-wide local elections. Despite previous interference from elections, he said the upcoming elections December 2006 for Taipei and Kaohsiung mayors shouldn't prevent an announcement on lifting the restriction later this year. He would not speculate further on when an announcement would be forthcoming. Others Farther Behind -------------- ¶9. (C) For other areas of cross-Strait economic liberalization, Fu indicated that progress in the near term was less likely. He said lifting the 40 percent ceiling on investment in the PRC still faced strong opposition from Deep Green forces. Liberalization of restrictions on the operations of Taiwan banks in the PRC would require extensive discussions with the PRC of a more formal nature than those currently underway for tourism and charter flights. Taiwan Authorities' United Front on FTA -------------- TAIPEI 00002991 003 OF 003 ¶10. (C) Fu took advantage of the meeting to reiterate Taiwan's interest in an FTA with the United States and inquire about the U.S. linkage of cross-Strait economic issues to an FTA. He argued that Taiwan's cross-Strait restrictions are an excuse that the United States uses to avoid entering FTA discussions with Taiwan that it does not want for political reasons. This is the first time Fu has raised an FTA with us. See ref B for background on Taiwan lobbying for FTA talks. YOUNG