Top Chinese envoy on Taiwan visit

[genmirajborgza786]

Top Chinese envoy on Taiwan visit !

The most senior Chinese official to visit Taiwan since 1949 arrives in Taipei for talks on improving relations between the two sides. from bbc

Top Chinese envoy on Taiwan visit
China's top official for handling relations with Taiwan has arrived in Taipei for a five-day visit.

Chen Yunlin heads the Chinese body which handles relations with Taiwan and is expected to sign agreements on economic and transport issues.

The new Taiwanese President, Ma Ying-jeou, has promised to end decades of political rivalry with Beijing.

But Taiwanese pro-independence groups have promised to hold protests during the five-day visit.

Mr Chen is head of China's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (Arats).

He will hold talks and sign agreements on direct shipping and air cargo links, food safety and a postal service with Chiang Pin-kun, head of Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF).

The two bodies manage ties between China and Taiwan in the absence of formal links since they broke apart in 1949.

Formal discussions are to begin on Tuesday.

Growing warmth

They held the first meeting in a decade in June this year, in Beijing.

"The hard ice between the two sides has already been shattered, the road has already been opened," said Wang Yi, head of the Taiwan Affairs Office in Beijing, at Chen's official send-off.

"This will go down as a great event in the history of relations across the (Taiwan) Straits, he said."

Mr Chen is bringing a group of 60 people with him.

Since President Ma took power in Taiwan in March, a series of trade and tourism deals have been reached with the mainland, including permission for up to 3,000 mainlanders to visit Taiwan every day.

However, Mr Ma's overtures have sparked fierce protests in Taiwan, including accusations that he is "selling out" Taiwan to the mainland.

Pro-independence groups say they will camp outside parliament for three days this week among other protests.

"If Ma's government keeps talking like this to China, it definitely has political implications," said Cheng Wen-tsang, spokesman for the opposition Democratic Progressive Party, which favours formal independence from China.

A less senior envoy from Beijing who visited Taiwan last month was pushed to the ground in scuffles by protesters.

Taiwan rules itself and has secured diplomatic recognition from a handful of states.

China regards it as a breakaway province, claiming sovereignty over Taiwan since 1949, when Mao Zedong's Communists won the Chinese civil war and Chiang Kai-shek's KMT fled to Taiwan.



Story from BBC NEWS:
BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Top Chinese envoy on Taiwan visit

Published: 2008/11/03 05:07:57 GMT

© BBC MMVIII

 

[Black Stone]

Let's hope he doesn't get pushed to the ground. Not what you expect from Taiwan.

 

[Evil Flare]

Like Hongkong Joined China , Taiwan will toooo ..

Its a matter of time

i think it will be in b/w 2020 to 2030

 

[Myth_buster_1]

i think it will be in b/w 2020 to 2030

thats right. in 2030 chinese defence budget will be well over 300 billion dollars. and taiwan will automatically go submissive.

 

[genmirajborgza786]

Let's hope he doesn't get pushed to the ground. Not what you expect from Taiwan.

hey' thanks your advise really worked .....

China and Taiwan in landmark deal !


China and Taiwan in landmark deal

China and Taiwan have signed landmark agreements to improve direct trade and transport links, following the highest-level Chinese visit in decades.

The agreements are set to triple the number of weekly direct passenger flights and allow cargo shipments between ports in China and Taiwan.

They also aim to improve the postal service and food safety.

China claims sovereignty over Taiwan though they have been separately governed since 1949.

The agreements were announced on the second day of a five-day visit to Taiwan by Chen Yunlin, China's top official for handling relations with Taiwan.

Previously, sovereignty issues involving vessels and crews forced costly detours through third countries, while China-Taiwan flights were forced to stop in Hong Kong or Macau.

Under the agreements:

Direct charter flights will increase from 36 to 108, and can operate daily rather than four days out of seven
Routes will be shortened and private business jet flights will be allowed
Direct cargo shipments will be allowed between 11 Taiwan sea ports and 63 in China, tax free
Sixty direct cargo flights will be allowed per month
Direct postal links will be expanded to improve delivery time, currently up to 10 days
Food safety alerts between the countries will be set up
Taiwan has the diplomatic recognition of a handful of states.

But since Mao Zedong's Communists won the Chinese civil war and the defeated Kuomintang fled to Taiwan, China has regarded it as a breakaway province which it has threatened to reunify using force.

Taipei protests

The latest trade agreements come after the two sides held their first, high-level meeting in a decade in June this year, in Beijing.

The improvement in relations follows the election of President Ma Ying-jeou in Taiwan.

However, Mr Ma's overtures of ending decades of political rivalry with Beijing have sparked fierce protests in Taiwan, including accusations that he is "selling out" to the mainland.

Pro-independence groups staged small protests around Taipei to coincide with Mr Chen's visit, waving flags and banners.

Thousands of police were deployed to ensure Mr Chen's safety, after his deputy Zhang Mingqing was jostled and knocked to the ground by protesters during a visit to Taiwan in October.

Story from BBC NEWS:
BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | China and Taiwan in landmark deal

Published: 2008/11/04 07:27:56 GMT

© BBC MMVIII