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Taiwan's Siew sees more economic ties with China
2001-05-14
SHANGHAI - Taiwan's former Nationalist Party premier Vincent Siew called for greater cross-Strait economic cooperation in a meeting with Shanghai's top Communist Party official Huang Ju on Sunday. In spite of political tension between Beijing and the government of Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian, the opposition Nationalists' Siew and Huang agreed that economically at least, the two sides had much in common, Reuters reported. "Shanghai is becoming a trading centre, port, financial and information hub for China. These industries are all already in Taiwan. I think in the future, there will be lots of opportunities for cooperation between the two," Siew said. Huang on Sunday gave Siew a warm welcome to the country's financial centre, a major target of Taiwan investment. "We thank our Taiwan friends who are working to improve cross-strait relations for our mutual benefit," Huang told Siew. "We hope both sides can continue to work together," he said. Such warm welcomes have eluded Taiwan's government. Political ties between China and Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) are in stalemate, with Beijing shunning official contact with Chen's government because of his party's pro-independence stance. Despite the political tension, Taiwan businesses have poured investment into China, including plans to build two big semiconductor foundries in Shanghai in the past year. Taiwan businesses have invested about $50 billion in the mainland since rapprochement began in the late 1980s, some analysts say. Others said the figure is much higher -- Credit Lyonnais Securities Asia puts it closer to $100 billion. Siew, the second vice-chairman of Taiwan's opposition party to visit China in less than six months, has been shown VIP treatment even though his party was China's archrival for decades after they fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war. Beijing considers the island a breakaway province that must eventually be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary. Talks were frozen in 1999 when then Nationalist Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui redefined bilateral ties as "special state to state." China's ire has since turned to the pro-independence DPP, which knocked the Nationalists out of power in March 2000. Chinese officials have rejected all official contact with Chen's government, insisting that Taipei first recognise the "one China" principle. China has instead been hosting visitors from the Nationalist Party. In a fresh snub against Chen on Friday, Chinese Vice Premier Qian Qichen met Siew, who is touting a regional common market, for what the former premier called "comprehensive talks." In Taiwan, Chen insisted that democracy and political equality would have to come in step with closer economic ties. Siew says he has no political agenda for this visit. He told Huang he expects business relations across the Taiwan Straits to become more intimate, and there will be more contact between the two sides. "I am personally optimistic about the future, though we must together take each step one at a time," Siew said. Taiwan's largest commercial association, the Taiwan General Chamber of Commerce, is in Shanghai for a five-day visit starting on Sunday to study the city's investment environment. Shanghai is hosting the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in October, but when asked by reporters whether he will attend, Siew said the decision lay with the Taiwan government. Separately, Taiwan's economic planning minister Chen Po-chih will be in Beijing on Sunday to lead an official delegation to attend a ministerial-level meeting for APEC. He will be the most senior official in the Chen administration to visit China.
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