JANUARY 17 TAO PRESS BRIEFING: CROSS-STRAIT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BEIJING 000395 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL ETRD ECON CH TW SUBJECT: JANUARY 17 TAO PRESS BRIEFING: CROSS-STRAIT RELATIONS IN 2006, TAIWAN FUGITIVES IN MAINLAND, NEW RULES ON TAIWAN JOURNALISTS, CHARTER FLIGHTS Summary -------------- ¶1. Key points at the January 17 Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) press briefing were: -- The spokesman reviewed achievements in 2006, including cross-strait trade surpassing US$100 billion and the travel of over 4.4 million Taiwan residents to the Mainland. -- He warned that Taiwan "Constitutional Reforms" and Taiwan "de jure" independence efforts pose an austere challenge to cross-Strait relations. -- Taiwan fugitive Lee Han-yang's arrest in Yunnan Province was detailed, but the spokesmen gave little information on the whereabouts of another Taiwan fugitive, Wang You-theng. -- The Mainland continues to support the "Kinmen Accord" regarding law enforcement cooperation across the Strait. -- Taiwan journalists traveling to the Mainland after the new media regulations implemented on January 1, 2007 must apply for visas through the Hong Kong or Macau Travel Bureaus and do not need TAO approval to conduct interviews. -- The Mainland hopes that the Taiwan authorities will change their attitude, remove obstructions and accept the gift of two pandas at an early date. End Summary. Taiwan Internal Developments -------------- ¶2. Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) spokesman Yang Yi gave a brief report on the work of 2006, in which he highlighted the Mainland's willingness to broadly develop exchange and dialogue with parties and groups from Taiwan as long as they recognize the "1992 Consensus." Yang noted achievements such as cross- Strait economic forums, cross-Strait trade surpassing US$100 billion and the travel of over 4.4 million Taiwan residents to the Mainland. Warning of attempts to pass "Constitutional Reforms" and press for de jure independence, Yang said such actions pose an austere challenge to cross-Strait relations. The Mainland will continue to strive for peaceful unification with the utmost sincerity and effort and support the "1992 Consensus," while refusing to tolerate moves toward Taiwan independence or any person who by any method attempts to separate Taiwan from China, said Yang. ¶3. Yang said cross-Strait relations in 2006 were characterized by "one theme and three characteristics." The theme was "peaceful development" and the characteristics were (1) the condemnation from compatriots on both sides of the Strait of splittist forces, (2) the cross-Strait compatriots' further deepening of understanding and recognition of the prospect of cross-Strait peaceful development and (3) the continued momentum in exchanges and cooperation between both sides of the Strait in areas such as economics and culture. Taiwan Fugitives on the Mainland -------------- ¶4. Yang was asked multiple times by reporters for information regarding the whereabouts of Rebar Group founder and Chairman Wang You-theng, who is wanted in Taiwan for his role in a series of financial scandals, and the repatriation of fugitive Taiwan Lee Han-yang, who was caught by Mainland authorities in Kunming last week. In addition to giving details of Lee's arrest, the spokesman said that Lee Han-yang's case is in the process of repatriation in accordance with the Kinmen Agreement and that the specific date of repatriation will be decided through negotiations of Red Cross organizations on both sides of the strait. (NOTE: Taiwan police announced that Lee and his accomplice would be repatriated this week.) ¶5. In regards to Wang You-theng, Yang said that the TAO knows only what has been reported in the Taiwan media, which claimed Wang left Shanghai on January 13. As the Taiwan authorities did not notify the Mainland of Wang's case until January 15, accusations that the Mainland would not repatriate the wanted person are BEIJING 00000395 002 OF 003 groundless. The TAO does not know when Wang entered or departed the Mainland, but confirmed that he had valid identification documents for traveling to Mainland. Asked to comment on a suggestion made by Taiwan's "Mainland Affairs Commission" that the Commission's "Political Section" has been in direct "contact" with the TAO, Yang said that the TAO did not receive any such "phone call." ¶6. Asked by a Taiwan reporter if the "Kinmen Accord" of 1990 needed to be broadened to promote cross-Strait crime fighting, Yang declined to address such a need, stating that Mainland judicial authorities promote law enforcement cooperation across the Strait and the protection of Taiwan compatriots' lives and possessions. Yang mentioned two cases of such cooperation this year and added that the April 2005 consensus reached between Hu Jintao and Lien Chan emphasized the continued promotion of such work. New Rules for Taiwan Journalists -------------- ¶7. Taiwan journalists traveling to the Mainland after January 2007 now must apply for visas through the Hong Kong or Macau Travel Bureaus, said Yang when asked which department would handle the entrance permit procedures. Additionally, Yang said that reporters from Taiwan require only the permission from the relevant organization or individual when conducting interviews, whereas before the permission of the TAO Information Bureau was required. 2006 Cross-Strait Trade Statistics -------------- ¶8. Yang elaborated on four characteristics of cross- Strait economic development in 2006: (1) the continuing trend of cross-Strait development; (2) continued frequent exchanges and cooperation in areas of agriculture and information industry; (3) the development of the "three transits," precipitating direct cross-strait charter flights over the holidays and freight shipping charter flights; and (4) the further improvement of the Mainland environment for Taiwan enterprises and the gradual warming of cross- Strait financial exchange and cooperation. According to Ministry of Commerce statistics for 2006, 3,752 Taiwan investment projects were approved with contracts worth US$11.34 billion, including US$2.14 billion in Taiwan investment. Cross-strait trade reached a total of US$107.84 billion, constituting an 18.2% increase from 2005. Mainland exports to Taiwan amounted to US$20.74 billion, an increase of 25.3% from 2005, and imports from Taiwan were worth US$87.11 billion, up 16.6% from the previous year. Charter Flights and Tourism -------------- ¶9. The spokesman reiterated the Mainland's support for cross-Strait tourism and both weekend and normalized direct charter flights, when asked for information on developments in these areas. Yang said that the Mainland has completed all preparations and that substantial developments have been made between cross- Strait private tourism organizations. Regarding direct weekend charter flights and the normalization of direct charter flights, Yang expressed the Mainland's hopes that negotiations can commence as early as possible between private organizations on both sides of the Strait. Mainland Pandas to Taiwan -------------- ¶10. The Mainland hopes that the Taiwan authorities will change their attitude, remove obstructions and accept the Mainland's gift of two pandas so that all Taiwan compatriots, especially Taiwan's children, can realize their panda dream at an early date, said Yang in a lengthy response to a question from Xinhua News Agency. Yang described the care of the two pandas, Tuantuan and Yuanyuan, over the past year. Increase in Cross-Strait Exchanges -------------- ¶11. Asked for further details on exchanges between the Mainland and Taiwan by a CCTV reporter, Yang mentioned the increased number of persons traveling between the BEIJING 00000395 003 OF 003 two sides, successful exchanges in arts and culture and the growing number of high-quality exchange programs such as the Cross-Strait Youth Forum. RANDT