CHINA: BEIJING AND TAIWAN SET TO OPEN HISTORIC DIRECT CONTACT IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH THE "THREE MINI LINKS".

Record ID: 837986

  • Title: CHINA: BEIJING AND TAIWAN SET TO OPEN HISTORIC DIRECT CONTACT IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH THE "THREE MINI LINKS".
  • Date: 29th December 2000
  • Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (DECEMBER 28, 2000) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. GV: TIANANMEN SQUARE 0.05 2. GV/MV: FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN ZHANG QIYUE WALKING INTO PRESS CONFERENCE (2 SHOTS) 0.13 3. MCU: (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) ZHANG QIYUE, FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN, SAYING: "Carrying out the direct Three Links between the two sides is an objective necessity for economic development and interaction on all aspects between the mainland and Taiwan, and is beneficial for people on both sides of the Straits. The motherland on this side has already put forth significant efforts to actualise the Three Links." 0.35 4. MV: MEDIA 0.40 5. MCU: (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) ZHANG SAYING: "The Fujian side is willing to provide help in order to carry out the current plan. Concerning the substance of the concrete details, they will be decided by a civilian organisation on both sides of the Straits, based on the principle that it is an internal exchange within one country. At the very end of his (Taiwan Affairs official in Fujian official) statement, he emphasised, if the Taiwanese are sincere about acutalising the Three links, they should embrace the One China principle as soon as possible." 1.18 6. GV: PROFESSOR YAN XUETONG, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES AT TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY SITTING AT DESK 1.21 7. MCU: (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) YAN SAYING: "The mainland has always suggested that the people from both sides (Taiwan and mainland) should come and go freely, therefore as long as they can come and go, it doesn't matter how we carry it out. On this point (Taiwan), if they agree on this small matter (Mini Three Links) -- we wouldn't oppose it. The separatists in Taiwan, if they have a self-serving attitude that they've scored some kind of victory on this point, it is completely meaningless."/ YAN'S HAND WRITING ON PAPER/ YAN SAYING "What the Mini Three Links means, is that the objective of those who are in power in Taiwan, is to support Taiwanese independence and they are unwilling to accept the One-China policy. If they accept the One-China policy, then it's no problem to go ahead with the Big Three Links. What they are trying to do, through the Mini Three Links is hide their intentions of not accepting the One-China policy. By using the Mini Three Links, they are making it look as though they are flexible on this point, but in fact it's only a farce." (3 SHOTS) 2.11 8. MV/CU: NEWSPAPER STAND ON BUSY STREET; VARIOUS OF NEWSPAPER HEADLINE ON THE MINI THREE LINKS (2 SHOTS) 2.21 9. GV: PEOPLE WALKING ALONG BUSY COLD STREET 2.24 10. MCU: (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) WORKER LI GANG, SAYING: "I think the Mini Three Links should go ahead. It should be carried out slowly step-by-step. It's going to take a long time....it can't be solved in a flash. Once the Mini Three Links are carried out, we can go ahead with the Big Three Links." 2.39 11. MV: WANG LAN WALKING ALONG ROAD 2.44 12. MCU: (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) WANG LAN, SAYING: "There are many complications involved in carrying out the the Mini Three Links. After economic trade increases between the two sides (Taiwan and the mainland), more and more people will want to see the Three Links go through and this may affect the decision made by the authorities. It would be a good development....we should definitely try it out." 2.59 XIAMEN, FUJIAN PROVINCE, CHINA (FILE) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 13. GV: BOATS DOCKED ON THE XIAMEN COASTLINE; SMALL FISHING BOAT PASSING HUGE OCEAN LINER; DOCKED BOATS; PEOPLE WALKING THORUGH XIAMEN STREET (5 SHOTS) 3.18 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 13th January 2001 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BEIJING AND XIAMEN, FUJIAN PROVINCE, CHINA
  • City:
  • Country: China
  • Topics:
  • Reuters ID: LVACCKKXFZ347Q0WFOV9EQ5AMPG8
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Beijing has opened the door to historic direct
    contacts with Taiwan by indicating it would grudgingly go
    along with Taipei's plan for limited exchanges between its
    offshore islands and the Chinese mainland.


    Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue on
    Thursday (December 28) confirmed that Beijing would help
    facilitate limited exchanges between the Taiwan islands of
    Quemoy and Matsu and China's coastal province of Fujian.

    "Carrying out the direct Three Links between the two sides
    is an objective necessity for
    economic development and interaction on all aspects between
    the mainland and Taiwan, and is beneficial for people on both
    sides of the Straits. The motherland on this side has already
    put forth significant efforts to actualise the Three Links,"
    Zhang said.

    It would be an encouraging sign of progress in relations
    across the Taiwan Strait that have been frosty since the
    election this year of Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian.

    Beijing has been pressing for full trade, transport and
    postal exchanges -- so-called "three links".

    "The Fujian side is willing to provide help in order to
    carry out the current plan. Concerning the substance of the
    concrete details, they will be decided by a civilian
    organisation on both sides of the Straits, based on the
    principle that it is an internal exchange within one country.

    At the very end of his (Taiwan Affairs official in Fujian
    official) statement, he emphasised, if the Taiwanese are
    sincere about acutalising the Three links, they should embrace
    the One China principle as soon as possible," said Zhang.

    Beijing professor Yan Xuesong believes the mainland's
    acceptance of the Mini Three Links does not mean full
    acceptance of the Big Three Links.

    "The mainland has always suggested that the people from
    both sides (Taiwan and mainland) should come and go freely,
    therefore as long as they can come and go, it doesn't matter
    how we carry it out. On this point (Taiwan), if they agree on
    this small matter ( Mini Three Links) -- we wouldn't oppose
    it. The separatists in Taiwan, if they have a self-serving
    attitude that they've scored some kind of victory on this
    point, it is
    completely meaningless," said Yan Xuetong, Executive Director
    of International Studies at Tsinghua University.

    "What the Mini Three Links means, is that the objective of
    those who are in power in Taiwan, is to support Taiwanese
    independence and they are unwilling to accept the One-China
    policy. If they accept the One-China policy, then it's no
    problem to go ahead with the Big Three Links. What they are
    trying to do, through the Mini Three Links is hide their
    intentions of not accepting the One-China policy. By using the
    Mini Three Links, they are making it look as though they are
    flexible on this point, but in fact it's only a farce," said
    Yan.

    China's state news agency quoted an official in the
    coastal province of Fujian as saying the Taiwan plan did not
    go far enough and "indicates that the Taiwan authorities lack
    sincerity and goodwill in realising direct services".

    Nevertheless, the official of the Fujian Taiwan Affairs
    Office said "the mainland is willing to help", Xinhua news
    agency said.

    Taiwan's cabinet this month approved regulations dropping
    a ban lasting more than five decades on direct contacts with
    China.

    The cabinet sanctioned what has been dubbed "mini three
    links" between its heavily-fortified islands of Quemoy and
    Matsu, and Fujian.

    The first Taiwan ships carrying Buddhist pilgrims,
    officials and news reporters are scheduled to set sail on
    January 1.

    Taiwan requires that all contacts with the mainland be
    conducted through third countries, although smugglers from
    both sides already do a roaring direct trade in the Taiwan
    Strait, and Taiwan fishermen regularly put ashore on the
    mainland.

    Xinhua quoted the official as calling on non-governmental
    organisations in Quemoy and Matsu, and the Chinese cities of
    Fuzhou and Xiamen, "to facilitate the two-way personnel and
    trade exchange across the strait and do everything possible to
    simplify related procedures".

    People in Beijing welcomed the Mini Three Links.

    "I think the Mini Three Links should go ahead. It should
    be carried out slowly step-by-step. It's going to take a long
    time....it can't be solved in a flash. Once the Mini Three
    Links are carried out, we can go ahead with the Big Three
    Links," said Li Gang.

    "There are many complications involved in carrying out the
    the Mini Three Links. After economic trade increases between
    the two sides (Taiwan and the mainland), more and more people
    will want to see the Three Links go through and this may
    affect the decision made by the authorities. It would be a
    good development... .we should definitely try it out," said
    Wang Lan.

    China has regarded Taiwan as a breakaway province since a
    1949 civil war split and has threatened to attack if the
    island declares independence or drags its feet indefinitely on
    unification talks.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register