Press Release on the Siew-Hu Meeting

Press Release on the Siew-Hu Meeting

Source: the KMT

April 14, 2008

The Cross-Straits Common Market Foundation delegation met with PRC President Hu Jintao on Saturday afternoon. The meeting was arranged by the organizers of the Boao Forum. The meeting was conducted in a cordial atmosphere, with the delegation having a full understanding of Mr. Hu’s pragmatism and goodwill.

Following handshakes and pleasantries, Mr. Vincent Siew, head of the delegation, and Mr. Hu each gave a short speech. Mr. Siew said, as a veteran of Taiwan’s economic development, he realizes over the years that Taiwan’s economy is inseparable from those of Asia and the world. “In the past twenty years, trade between Taiwan and Mainland China has also become inseparable. Economic development is a shared expectation of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. Cross-Strait trade not only improves the people’s lives, but also induces regional peace. Cross-Strait economic and trade relations have been quietly stabilizing cross-Strait relations over the past 20 years. Therefore, we have high hopes for the future development of cross-Strait economic and trade relations.”

The vicissitudes of cross-Strait relations in the past decades has been a major concern to countries in the region. Mr. Siew believes that the people on Taiwan and Mainland China are seeing the best of times in their histories. As long as rationality and proper management prevail, the two sides of the Strait should be able to achieve mutual benefits.

Mr. Siew also pointed out that the cross-Strait relation is set to enter a new phase, and, hopefully, a good beginning. He urged that people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait ‘face the reality, create a new future, shelve controversies, and pursue win-win solutions.’ It is imperative for the two sides to work together to facilitate economic exchanges. Dialogues between Taiwan and Mainland China should begin with economic issues. Benefit-maximization and controversy-minimization should create conditions for long-term peaceful development of cross-Strait relations.

While economic exchanges between Taiwan and Mainland China have been hot in the past few years, political interactions have been rather cold. The situation is detrimental to the peace and development of cross-Strait relations and concerns the region. Mr. Siew believes that to secure benefits for both sides and alleviate regional tension it is necessary to introduce cross-Strait direct flights and normalize cross-Strait economic and trade relations. To carry out these two objectives as soon as possible both sides should work hard to overcome difficulties and hurdles. Therefore, cross-Strait negotiations should be resumed as soon as possible.

Mr. Siew called for mutual cooperation to jump start talks over direct weekend chartered cross-Strait flights as soon as possible so as to facilitate passenger and freight transportation. Taiwan will welcome Mainland Chinese tourists to take the first flight to Taiwan to experience the hospitality of its people. Each year over four million Taiwanese people visit Mainland China to see the great scenery. Now Taiwan can reciprocate with the same kind of enthusiam and equally great scenary.

Siew also added, “Cross-Strait direct flights and normalization of economic and trade relations have a profound historical significance, because they represent the first formal opening-up and exchange between Taiwan and Mainland China in nearly sixty years.”

Finally, Mr. Siew said he cherished the hard-earned opportunity to meet with the leaders of Mainland China at the Boao Forum, especially after all these twists and turns in cross-Strait relations. Both (President-elect) Mr. Ma Ying-jeou and Mr. Siew believe that economic and trade issues should be the new engines in cross-Strait relations. With open-up policies, pragmatism, and careful planning from both sides, economic exchanges will certainly be smooth and sustainable as well as beneficial to the people on both sides. This is the new beginning of cross-Strait relations in a new century. We sincerely hope that both sides would create a new era of mutual confidence, mutual understanding, mutual assistance, and mutual benefits.

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