The Chinese mainland has announced a package of new policies to
promote economic, trade and cultural relations with
Taiwan.
A total of 13 new policies were announced at Sunday's closing
ceremony of a two-day cross-Straits forum, co-sponsored by the
Communist Party of China and the Chinese Kuomintang Party, Taiwan's
major opposition party.
Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese
People's Political Consultative Conference, and KMT Honorary
Chairman Lien Chan were present at the closing ceremony.
Under the new policies, Taiwan shipping and road transport
companies are allowed to set up wholly-owned companies or joint
ventures on the mainland.
Taiwan enterprises are also encouraged to directly invest in the
construction and operation of ports and road projects on the
mainland.
Taiwan shipping companies, engaged in direct passenger transport
between coastal cities in Fujian and Jinmen, Mazu and Penghu in
Taiwan have been authorized to set up agencies and sell tickets on
the mainland.
Taiwan's airline companies are encouraged to expand cooperation
with mainland counterparts in aircraft maintenance, cargo storage,
market development and code sharing.
The mainland also promised to improve laws and regulations to
allow Taiwan aviation companies to launch joint-ventures to run
airline companies, build airports and produce on-vehicle materials
on the mainland with mainland partners.
The General Administration of Civil Aviation of China said
Taiwan students are welcome to study in the mainland's civil
aviation schools and aircraft maintenance technicians are welcome
to work on the mainland.
The administration said Chengdu, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Shenzhen,
Dalian and Guilin will gradually become new destinations for
non-stop chartered flights.
The cities that cross-Straits airlines currently fly to are
Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Xiamen on the mainland, and Taipei
and Kaohsiung in Taiwan. All Taiwan residents, businessmen and
their relatives with valid certificates can take the flights.
Meanwhile, three more cities -- Guangzhou, Qingdao and Wuhan --
have been authorized to issue valid passes for Taiwan visitors
entering the mainland, in addition to the existing eight cities of
Shenyang, Dalian, Chengdu, Haikou, Sanya, Xiamen, Fuzhou and
Shanghai.
To further personnel exchanges, the mainland said it will open
15 qualification tests for Taiwan professionals such as accountant,
auctioneer, pharmacist and real estate agent.
Taiwan's universities are welcome to recruit students in the
mainland and the Ministry of Education said it would provide
assistance to students willing to study in Taiwan.
Participants at the forum also issued a joint proposal, urging
the mainland and Taiwan to improve direct air and shipping
transport services and cooperate more closely on education and
tourism.
The proposal also says that the peaceful development of
cross-Straits relations serves the common interests of people on
both sides of the Taiwan Straits.
It calls for an early resumption of consultations on an equal
footing between the mainland and Taiwan based on the principle of
the '1992 Consensus'.
The "1992 Consensus" struck by the CPC and the then-incumbent
KMT endorses the one-China principle.
Chen Yunlin, director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the CPC
Central Committee, said the mainland remains firmly committed to
maintaining and improving the peaceful development of cross-Straits
relations.
He warned that attempts by Taiwan secessionist forces to
undermine the status quo are a very serious threat to peace and
stability.
"If compatriots across the Straits work together and seize the
historic opportunity before us, a win-win result can be achieved
and the Chinese nation will be reinvigorated," Chen said at the
closing ceremony.
About 500 participants from the mainland and Taiwan attended the
forum.
This is the third forum of its kind held in Beijing after the
landmark meeting between CPC Central Committee General Secretary Hu
Jintao and then KMT chairman Lien Chan in April 2005.
Hu invited Lien to dine on Sunday at Zhongnanhai in downtown
Beijing, the Chinese leaders' compound, according to a forum press
release.
(Xinhua News Agency April 30, 2007)