Xiamen-Based Taiwan Watchers Say Cross-Strait Relations

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 GUANGZHOU 000024 SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/CM, EAP/TC E.O. 12958: DECL: 2035/01/14 TAGS: PGOV ECON ETRD EINV PREL CH TW SUBJECT: Xiamen-Based Taiwan Watchers Say Cross-Strait Relations Progressing on Even Keel REF: A) 09 GUANGZHOU 677, B) 09 GUANGZHOU 574 GUANGZHOU 00000024 001.2 OF 003 Classified by Acting Consul General Stephan Lang for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Beijing's policies toward Taiwan likely will remain unchanged in the near term, according to Xiamen-based officials, academics and business leaders. One Taiwan business leader said that the cross-Strait relationship could weather a 2012 win by Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party. Sales of arms to Taiwan -- especially new-model F-16 aircraft -- would "surely" lead to a "strong reaction" from Beijing. Fujian-based Taiwan watchers are optimistic in their assessments that the window for signing ECFA is open now, but will close in the summer as political cycles such as Taiwan elections begin to weigh on cross-Strait talks and prevent new action. The West Strait Economic Development Plan has become the highest economic priority of provincial and local authorities throughout Fujian, at the same time as exposing intra-Fujian tensions as generous central and provincial government funding is doled out for new development projects. The legal sector, among others, has recently seen increased exchanges across the Strait. END SUMMARY. Political Dialogue "Not a Pressing Issue" for Beijing -------------- -------------- ¶2. (C) The mainland is ready for political dialogue with Taiwan, but that is not a pressing issue for Beijing, Xiamen University Taiwan Research Institute (TRI) Assistant President Li Peng told Congenoffs in early December. Li said that political progress would follow economic cooperation across the Taiwan Strait. Li believes Beijing might continue to use the previous model of allowing Taiwan access to the World Health Organization but not to any other international organization, adding that "Beijing still needs to study appropriate ways for Taiwan to join [such organizations]." ¶3. (C) If Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) wins the presidential election in 2012, there will be some negative influence on cross-Strait relations but any real damage will be limited, according to Xiamen Taiwan Businessmen's Association (TBA) Chairman Zeng Qinzhao. Zeng, who admitted a great personal dislike of the DPP, said he thought that at most a DPP win would slow the pace of exchanges across the Strait but that both sides' policies would remain stable. His view was that, though the DPP's leaders would doubtless play up the "mainland threat" during the elections, those same leaders understood that closer relations with the mainland would clearly benefit Taiwan. Arms Sales will "Surely" Bring a "Strong Reaction" -------------- -------------- ¶4. (C) TRI's Li hit the PRC's usual talking points in opposition to arms sales to Taiwan, saying that any arms deal would necessarily engender a "strong reaction" from Beijing. Li also said that some mainland diplomatic and academic circles are recommending that Beijing make a "substantial response" to any sale of new-model F-16 fighters to Taiwan. Li said that Beijing would insist on successfully implementing confidence-building measures before agreeing to withdraw its Taiwan-targeted missiles, a view he conceded was the reverse of Taiwan's standpoint. New Party Secretary Unlikely to Affect Taiwan Policy -------------- -------------- ¶5. (C) New Fujian Party Secretary Sun Chunlan (ref A) will probably not change the province's current direction on cross-Strait issues, according to TRI's Li. Li predicts that Sun, who was appointed to Fujian Province's highest post November 30, would likely follow the same basic policy as her predecessor, Lu Zhangong, for at least the first year or two of her term. With regard to issues that are currently in the planning stages, Li predicted that Sun's own vision might become more apparent as she guided the implementation of cooperative initiatives such as the Western Strait Economic Development Plan. Li said that Sun, who, before her current appointment served as party secretary and vice president of the national-level All-China Federation of Trade Unions, could bring a fresh outside approach to managing Fujian. In a separate meeting, Xiamen Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) Deputy Director General Wu Shunbin noted that Beijing strictly controls the mainland's Taiwan policy and judged that Sun's appointment would not have an effect on cross-Strait issues. GUANGZHOU 00000024 002.2 OF 003 Window for ECFA Open Now, Closing Summer 2010 -------------- -------------- ¶6. (C) When asked how soon Taiwan and Mainland China would sign the highly-anticipated Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA), Dr. Tang Yonghong of TRI's Economics Research Institute said the first half of 2010 is the moment of opportunity. Because of Taiwan's election cycle in the second half of 2010 and again in 2011, Tang said the agreement would likely have to be shelved if the two sides could not achieve a breakthrough before campaign pressures prevented new action. ¶7. (C) In a separate meeting with Congenoffs, Professor Wu Nengyuan of the Fujian Academy of Social Science and Director of the Academy's Taiwan Research Institute described in more detail how economic conditions on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are ripe for concluding ECFA negotiations in the first half of 2010. Wu noted that, above all other issues, implementation of China's tariff-lowering free trade agreement with ASEAN would make Taiwan-produced goods less competitive on the mainland from January 1 and lasting until ECFA could be implemented. There may not be time to reach agreement for industry sectors such as agriculture, he said, but those sectors can be set aside and handled in follow-up discussions after an overall agreement is already in place. Haixi Exposes Intra-Fujian Divisions -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Fujian's "West Strait Economic Development Plan," also known locally as the "Hai Xi" Strategy, was transformed from a 5-year-old set of provincial goals to a national-level economic development plan when China's State Council added its seal of approval in May 2009. The plan was the pet project of former Governor, and later Party Secretary, Lu Zhangong before he was assigned as Henan's new Party Secretary in November. Securing funding and new development projects tied to the Hai Xi Strategy has become the highest priority of provincial and local authorities throughout Fujian. ¶9. (C) Key projects include new high speed rail lines linking Fujian's leading cities to Shenzhen in the south and Shanghai in the north and new highways crisscrossing rural areas of the province. State Council support for Hai Xi has led to broad discussion of new and innovative development projects for Fujian and has provided political cover to test experimental policies such as direct cross-Strait currency exchange reform. Many proposals have not yet been approved, but local officials responsible for the nascent Fuzhou Comprehensive Experiment Zone on Pingtan Island excitedly shared their wish list with Congenoffs, including a 67-kilometer undersea highway tunnel connecting Pingtan Island and Hsinchu City in Taiwan as well as duty-free and visa-free treatment for Taiwan visitors and vehicles arriving on Pingtan Island. ¶10. (C) However, provincial government and apparent State Council support for many of the development plans related to Hai Xi, including the broad outline of developing Pingtan Island into a major tourist and trading hub, have also attracted criticism from other areas of Fujian, especially Xiamen, the city often cited as the province's most developed and best-positioned urban area. TRI's Dr. Tang shared with Congenoffs his view that the impact of Hai Xi would be limited overall and that the level of interest and funding would quickly be diverted if conditions change or when investors, especially those from Taiwan, realize the inconvenient location and underdeveloped current state of Pingtan Island. Lawyers Crossing the Strait -------------- ¶11. (SBU) Growing numbers of Taiwan lawyers are traveling to Xiamen to sit for the mainland's judicial qualification exam, according to Xiamen TAO's Wu. He said that in 2008, 37 Taiwan lawyers took the exam with a pass rate of 5%. Government approval also now allows Taiwan law firms to open offices in Xiamen, said Wu, who noted that mainland and Taiwan law firms increasingly entrust one another to represent cases on the other side of the strait. Wu also said that in November six district attorneys general from Xiamen traveled to Taiwan on an exchange with their counterparts there. Wu noted that trends of increasing cross-Strait visitors, for tourism, business and official exchanges like these, and the resultant increase in tourist and business disputes, had led to increased workload for Xiamen's GUANGZHOU 00000024 003.2 OF 003 Taiwan Affairs Office. LANG