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China says it is preparing to restart talks with Taiwan
2008-05-22
China said Thursday it was preparing to resume direct talks with Taiwan for the first time in over a decade, in a sign of improving relations after the inauguration of the island's new leader. Ma Ying-jeou, who took office Tuesday as Taiwan's president vowing to mend ties with China, has raised hopes that long-term tensions may ease across the narrow strait dividing the two rivals. "Currently, good developing momentum is emerging in cross-strait relations, bringing a rare and important opportunity," said Chen Yunlin, head of China's ruling Communist Party Central Committee's Taiwan Work Office. "Both sides are making efforts to restart negotiations and discussions based on the '92 consensus, and are making relevant preparations," said Chen, whose comments were published in state-run media. Chen was referring to a guideline for talks that the mainland and Taiwan reached in 1992, in which each side could interpret the term 'One China' in its own way. Based on that agreement, China and Taiwan held a landmark dialogue in 1993 in Singapore. But China suspended follow-up talks to protest a 1995 US visit by Taiwan's then president, seeing it as a move promoting independence. The two sides split at the end of a civil war in 1949 and China still claims Taiwan as part of its territory awaiting reunification. It has in the past threatened to invade if Taiwan declares independence. Chen said Beijing was looking to resolve long-term issues with Taiwan. "After the official resumption of talks, we expect to solve the various problems that Taiwan people are concerned about in a practical manner through our joint efforts and equal negotiations," he said. Chen also warmly welcomed Taiwan's help in the aftermath of last week's earthquake in southwest China's Sichuan province that has left more than 80,000 people dead or missing. Taiwan sent rescue teams and medical workers to Sichuan, and has donated nearly 30 million dollars in cash and material aid. "This moving and heart-felt chapter will go down in the history of cross-strait relations," Chen said. Ma, of the China-friendly Kuomintang (KMT) party, succeeded Chen Shui-bian, whose pro-independence rhetoric during eight years in office irked not only Beijing but also the United States for the way it spiked regional tensions. After being inaugurated on Tuesday, Ma called for a resumption of dialogue based on the 1992 agreement and promised not to enter in an arms race with China. Ma on Thursday described the reaction from Beijing as a sign of "goodwill" and again called on the two sides to grasp the "historic opportunity" to mend ties. "We hope the two sides can build trust and outline a timetable on reopening negotiations on issues of mutual concerns," Ma told reporters in Taiwan. There have been other signs of a thaw in tensions between China and Taiwan since Ma's election victory, with a series of key Taiwanese figures visiting the mainland or making plans to do so. Vincent Siew, now vice president of the island, met Chinese President Hu Jintao in southern Hainan province last month in the highest-level contact ever between the two sides. KMT chairman Wu Poh-hsiung is due to fly over on Monday as the first ever ruling party chief from the island to visit the mainland, where he will meet Hu. The targeted opening of weekend charter flights across the Strait on July 4 -- the first test of improved ties -- is expected to top Wu's agenda. Jean-Pierre Cabestan, professor of political science at Hong Kong Baptist University, said Chen's comments should be treated with cautious optimism. "It is a good basis for the resumption of talks and possibly political negotiations. We can expect a breakthrough in relations, but don't expect it to resolve all the issues between the two sides," Cabestan said.
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