BEIJING -- The Chinese mainland will host the cross-Strait forum on
agricultural cooperation in October after efforts to hold it in Taipei failed,
an official with the Kuomintang (KMT) Party said on Thursday.
The announcement was made by Tseng Yung-Chuan, director of the KMT central
policy committee, during a meeting with Chen Yunlin, director of the Taiwan Work
Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.
A spokesman of the Taiwan Work office confirmed the decision, saying the CPC
has accepted the idea for the sake of the prosperity and peaceful and stable
cross-Strait relations.
The CPC and KMT decided to hold the forum in Taipei next month, but the
application of Chen's delegation to attend the forum has not been approved by
the Taiwan authorities.
"I've been longing for a chance to visit Taiwan, but it now seems very
difficult to go," said Chen.
Chen told the media before meeting with Tseng that the aim of the
agricultural forum is to boost the development of cross-Strait agriculture by
learning from Taiwan's successful experiences.
"However, time has passed by and it seems impossible to hold it in Taiwan
before the end of this year." said Chen, "so we have to reconsider it."
A spokesman from the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits has
claimed that Chen's delegation would not get involved in any issues other than
agricultural cooperation, and would have nothing to do with the resumption of
cross-Strait negotiations or other talks.
Mainland officials criticized the Taiwan authorities last month, urging them
to be sincere and careful in dealing with this issue.
During Thursday's meeting, Chen and Tseng also discussed the opening of
tourism and regular weekend chartered passenger flights across the Strait.
The mainland tourist authorities has issued a regulation on travel by
mainland residents to Taiwan and has set up an association on Cross-Strait
tourism, according to Chen.
Chen hopes that tourism organizations on both sides continue to speed up
negotiations on allowing mainlanders to visit Taiwan.
The mainland has noted that Taiwan authorities has adopted some positive
measures including the approval of the establishment of non-governmental tourist
organizations.
"As soon as the organizations start operation, the mainland will negotiate
with them, either on the mainland, Taiwan, Hong Kong or Macao," he said.
Chen said the mainland hopes chartered passenger flight services will be
extended to mainland residents with legal certificates and mainland tourists.
Restrictions should be removed from chartered freight flights to achieve mutual
benefit.
"We have been insisting that direct flights should be opened across the
Strait. Detailed negotiations can be left to civil aviation companies on both
sides," he said.
