Qian Qichen Meets Taiwan's PFP DelegationVice Premier Qian Qichen met with a delegation of the Taiwan-based People First Party (PFP) led by Liu Sung-Pan Tuesday.Since 1979, the mainland has been making serious efforts to realize direct links of trade, transport and postal services across the Taiwan Straits, Qian told the visitors. Nowadays, the establishment of these direct links as soon as possible has become an objective demand for increasing the cross- straits exchanges, the common and imperative desire of the compatriots in Taiwan, and the consensus of all the parties, groups and individuals on both the mainland and Taiwan, he said. Qian said that the Taiwan authorities' policies of hampering direct cross-straits exchanges are detrimental to the interests of the compatriots on both sides, and are being opposed by an increasing number of the compatriots in Taiwan. He reiterated the mainland policies on the opening of direct links across the Taiwan Straits, saying that the exchanges must follow the one-China principle, be direct and two-way, and mutually beneficial. The vice-premier proposed that the direct links be opened without any negotiations, based on the experience of a similar arrangement between Taiwan and Hong Kong. Experts and businessmen from the mainland and Taiwan have held many rounds of talks on technical issues, he noted. Regarding direct cross-straits exchanges as an internal affair of China, Qian said, they could be carried out on a people-to- people basis, between industries and companies from the two sides. The mainland wants to develop ties with all parties, groups and individuals that are in favor of the one-China principle and against the "independence" of Taiwan, the official said. More practical efforts should be made for the early realization of overall, direct exchanges across the straits, he added. |
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