Wu Poh-hsiung’s Statement

Press Release

Wu Poh-hsiung’s Statement

Source: KMT Culture and Communications Committee

December 19, 2008

KMT Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung said in a statement Thursday that the fourth KMT-CCP economic, trade and culture forum would be held in Shanghai from December 20th to 21st. He stressed that the forum was unofficial and that it was meant to be a major platform to exchange views among ruling and opposition parties across both sides of the Taiwan Strait. Wu added that the entire agenda, from the opening to closing ceremonies, was transparent and open.

Wu stated that the issues which would be discussed included the following four topics:
1. Institutional arrangements for cross-Strait economic exchanges
2. Expanding cooperation for cross-Strait financial and service sectors
3. Promoting cross-Strait two-way investments
4. Cultural salons

He said that the biggest difference between this forum and the previous three KMT-CCP forums was that both parties were set to issue the closing ceremony’s “Joint Recommendations.” Since the KMT is the ruling party, the recommendations will surely have a certain degree of influence.

Wu stated that the KMT also invited five government officials to attend the forum. They are San Gee, deputy minister of the Council for Economic Planning and Development of the Executive Yuan, Chang Ming-daw, director general of the Banking Bureau of the Financial Supervisory Commission of the Executive Yuan, Lee Long-wen, director general of the Civil Aeronautics Administration under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC), Janice Seh-Jen Lai, director general of the Tourism Bureau under the MOTC, and Berton B. C. Chiu, director of the Department of Investment Services under the Economics Ministry.

Wu said that the KMT had also invited other political party leaders and leading figures in industrial circles and academia. In addition, the KMT had also privately invited various DPP members, but they had rejected the invitations claiming that the timing was inconvenient.

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