[koe]: [Taipei Times] KMT legislator defends forums with CCP

KMT legislator defends forums with CCP

CRITICISM: Both the DPP caucus and some
KMT lawmakers have voiced concern that
the forums have usurped the role of
government-to-government contacts

By Flora Wang
STAFF REPORTER
The Taipei Times
Wednesday, Dec 24, 2008, Page 3

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus
secretary-general Chang Sho-wen (張碩文)
defended last weekend's KMT-Chinese
Communist Party (CCP) forum yesterday,
saying that anyone or any organization
that strives to ensure the "happiness
of the people" deserves credit.

Chang was responding to criticism from
the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)
caucus that the forum had replaced the
government in cross-strait negotiations.

DPP caucus whip William Lai (賴清德)
said cross-strait talks should proceed
within a government-to-government
framework, rather than a party-to-party
mechanism.

The direct transportation links and the
arrival of the two pandas would not have
been made possible without the KMT-CCP
forum, adding that although the forum
was a platform between the two parties,
it had made numerous "constructive"
contributions to cross-strait relations,
Chang said.

He praised KMT Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung
(吳伯雄) and former KMT chairman Lien
Chan (連戰), who both attended the
Shanghai forum, which wrapped up on
Monday.

Two KMT lawmakers, however, supported
Lai's view.

Legislators Shyu Jong-shyoung (徐中雄)
and Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) said a
non-governmental channel was no longer
important since exchanges between
officials from Taiwan and China had
resumed.

Chang rebuffed his colleagues'
criticism.

"We think it [the forum] could end
after both sides of the Taiwan Strait
sign a peace agreement," he said.

Meanwhile, KMT caucus deputy
secretary-general Lo Shu-lei (羅淑蕾)
dismissed media speculation that the
government would disregard the forum's
resolutions.

The government needs time to evaluate
results of the forum, she said.

The forum came up with nine suggestions,
including increasing the number of
cross-strait charter flights from 108
per week to 168 during the Lunar New
Year holiday, which begins on Jan. 25.

During the forum, Taiwan Affairs Office
Director Wang Yi (王毅) said that
Chinese banking institutions, including
the China Development Bank, the Bank of
China and the Industrial and Commercial
Bank of China, would be authorized to
increase the size of the loans and
credit services they can offer to
China-based Taiwanese enterprises to
help them weather any difficulties they
might face during the current economic
downturn.

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