Ma aims to prevent isolation: KMT official

Chang said that a sign of Taiwan becoming marginalized is the seventy percent drop in foreign capital and capital from overseas Chinese flowing into Taiwan.

Ma said in a recent interview that he will open direct transportation between Taiwan and mainland China within one year if he is elected president next year.

Ma had originally said that he would open direct cross-strait transportation within two years.

Chang said two factors drove Ma’s shortening of the direct transportation timetable, with one being KMT honorary chairman’s three visits to Beijing which effectively solved political obstacles to the opening of direct cross-strait transportation.

Also, the success of the cross-strait charter flights over the years has built experience for the execution of direct cross-strait transportation.

The government is currently negotiating with mainland China on allowing mainland tour groups to come to Taiwan and both sides are deadlocked on the wording of both sides’ titles.

Chang said that Ma will offer a solution to break the deadlock between the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government, which has been trying to emphasize “one side, one country,” and mainland China, which insists on the principle of “non-state-to-state.”

Chang said that Ma will offer a solution to allow for the transportation of people between the two sides, on an equal basis.

Meanwhile, DPP presidential candidate Frank Hsieh said that he supports the opening of the “three links,” namely transportation, shipping, and postal links with mainland China on the condition that the negotiations between the two sides be held on an equal basis.

Hsieh added that if talks for the opening of the “three links” are held on an unequal basis, or without consideration to national pride, then the “three links” can be done anytime.

Hsieh said that he supports the “three links” but that at the same time issues such as flight routes and labor rights should not be ignored. Hsieh said that if he is elected president in 2008, he would work towards this direction.

Hsieh added that he must first resolve differences from all sides and achieve a compromise before pushing forward with the three links plan.

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