Lien Chan says cross-strait talks should continue

Kuomintang chairman Lien Chan met Singapore statesman Lee Kuan Yew on the weekend, just weeks before Lien is set to make a historic and controversial visit to China.

Singapore authorities played down the visit as “private and unofficial,” though the city state has played a role in recent years in helping Taiwan and China sort out their feuding.

“Lien Chan was invited by Lee Kuan Yew to give a speech. He was the guest of honor at a dinner hosted by Lee (on Saturday night)” KMT spokesman Chang Jung-kung told the Reuters news agency.

Returning from Singapore yesterday evening, Lien also downplayed the trip.

“My visit to Singapore was not aimed at anyone in particular,” Lien told reporters at Taiwan’s international airport.

Lien and Singapore government officials both said it was a private and unofficial visit at the invitation of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

“My trip was made to deliver a lecture and have discussions... the most important thing was to discuss public policy and related issues with international relations experts,” Lien said.

Lee Kuan Yew was Singapore’s prime minister from 1965 to 1990 and remains an influential Cabinet member as Minister Mentor in his son Lee Hsien Loong’s government.

Lien denied Taiwan media reports saying that he met with Beijing officials in Singapore. Ruling party law makers have warned Lien’s trip to China could make him the target of a treason investigation.

On Saturday, President Chen Shui-bian said talks between the Communists and KMT in 1945 resulted in the KMT losing its grip on China and warned Lien’s coming talks might result in the loss of Taiwan to the Communists as well.

Lien said at the airport he did not know enough about President Chen’s weekend criticisms to respond to them as he was out of the country.

In a speech behind closed doors at the Singaporean school yesterday morning Lien reportedly said his party best represented the interests of Taiwan’s people and made a dig at President Chen Shui-bian’s administration, local media reported.

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In his speech and in exchanges with scholars afterwards, Lien hinted that President Chen’s administration had damaged Taiwan’s economy.

“A good government, an outstanding leader should not resort to populist domination and even worse should not impede the process of economic development with too many political ideas

“These run counter to and even damage the process of economic development, creating negative effects that could be avoided,” Lien, a former vice president, said.

Lien left on Saturday for Singapore. Media reports have slated his China trip for the end of this month or early May.

Lien in Singapore urged Taiwan and China to continue with dialogue and exchanges and not confront each other with verbal attacks and military threats.

“The large majority of the public does not want to see (these confrontations)” Lien said.

“The KMT believes that cross-strait dialogue should continue provided the rights of the Republic of China are firmly upheld,” Lien said.

“Only peace will bring on stability in the Taiwan Strait and overall peace in the Asia Pacific region.

“This is the trend, it is what everybody wants to see,” Lien said.

Lien said his party opposed any moves that damaged the stability of cross-strait ties or the livelihood of people in Taiwan and China.

He said the KMT opposed Taiwan independence, China’s “one country two systems model” for reunifying Taiwan with the mainland and President Chen’s description of Taiwan’s relations with China as “one country on either side of the Taiwan Strait”

“We emphasize all (the ideas) we stand for makes the people’s interests a priority,” Lien said.

Local media reported Lee Kuan Yew gave “great approval” to Lien’s planned trip to China, hoping it will ease tensions.

Reuters also reported Lee Kuan Yew could be acting as an intermediary behind the scenes.

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