Beijing has launched a charm offensive to win the hearts of mainland-based
Taiwanese investors and their families amid simmering cross-Straits tension.
Zhang Mingqing
invites questions from reporters at a news conference in Beijing.
[file/newsphoto]
Yesterday, transport officials announced several measures to make it more
convenient for such people to return to the island for family reunions during
the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year.
The move, announced by the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, looks to
highlight Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian's indifference to the island's business
community.
The election-obsessed leader, who has been preoccupied with political
attempts to provoke the mainland, has come under constant fire for ignoring the
immediate interests of the public.
Although the mainland-based office's spokesman Zhang Mingqing strongly
accused Chen of fanning anti-mainland sentiment to win votes in "presidential"
elections, he stopped short of threats to retaliate with tough action. But he
condemned the Taiwan leader for his proposal of waging "a holy war" against the
mainland.
Chen reportedly told a campaign rally in southern Taiwan on Saturday that the
March 2004 elections are "a holy war" for the Taiwanese people against the
mainland.
"He unscrupulously fuelled Taiwan compatriots' anti-mainland sentiment for
his own selfish election interest," Zhang said.
"His act was extremely immoral as it goes against the aspirations of
mainstream Taiwan compatriots for peace, stability and development, and
endangers their fundamental interests."
Also at the press conference, a senior official with the General
Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC) spoke of compromise in an
attempt to save a proposed across-Straits charter flight plan from going under.
Pu Zhaozhou, director of the CAAC's Office of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao
Affairs, said Beijing is willing to consider withdrawing its demand for the
participation of mainland airlines in the charter flight programme for the
upcoming Spring Festival.
The mainland is ready to let only Taiwanese airlines operate the charter
flights "as long as the Taiwan authorities promise to allow the participation of
mainland carriers next time and permit direct charter flights without stopovers
in a third place," he stressed.
The charter flight arrangement has hit a snag as Taipei has insisted that
they be indirect, while also rejecting the participation of mainland airlines.
Pu said the CAAC has decided to arrange extra flights to fly Taiwan investors
and their family members home via Hong Kong and Macao during Spring Festival,
just in case the offer for compromise is turned down.
As many as 1 million Taiwanese business people and their families are
estimated to live and work on the mainland and about 300,000 generally return to
the island each Spring Festival.