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Top Taiwan Economic Planner Heads to Beijing
Taiwan's top economic planner left for Beijing on Sunday to attend an Asia-Pacific Economic Conference (APEC) meeting.
Chen Po-chih, chairman of Taiwan's Council for Economic Planning and Development, would attend the May 14-16 meeting in Beijing.
Taiwan press quoted Chen as saying he would "respect the other side" if he met Chinese President Jiang Zemin.
On Saturday, Chen, the economic planning ``minister'', told Reuters that Taiwan hoped to cooperate in various fronts under the APEC framework and promote friendly relations not just across the Taiwan Strait but in the entire region.
Chen, whose agency was responsible for reviewing Taipei's "no haste, be patient" policy curbing investment in the mainland, said the government was in favour of liberalisation, but it needed to protect its industries and workers as well.
"Of course, we are worried that capital and technology outflows will lead to a hollowing-out of local industries, but we must allow our industries to have an opportunity to use mainland as a base for their global expansion," Chen said.
Chen nevertheless appealed to local high-tech companies to slow the pace of their investments in the mainland in the wake of rising unemployment at home.
Under current rules, Taiwan firms are barred from investing in strategic sectors such as semiconductors, petrochemicals and infrastructure, with a US$50 million ceiling on each project.
Chen said his council would complete its review by the end of May, but no relaxation timetable has been set.
"If both sides are sincere and with goodwill, we can consider speeding things up," Chen said.
Source: chinadaily.com.cn
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