The comments by the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei (AmCham) came a week after the inauguration of President Ma Ying-jeou, who has promised to swiftly establish cross-strait charter flights and loosen existing trade restrictions.

Presenting the Chamber's annual White Paper to reporters, titled "It's Time to Get Down to Business," Chairwoman Tung Tai-chin said the government needs to engage China economically and end up the long period of "emotionally charged political strife."

"Replacing that mood with one of conciliation and harmony should do much to restore both consumer and investor confidence and boost economic performance," Tung went on, "China has become so central to the global supply chain that failure to engage with the Chinese economy means weakening your ties with the world and regional economies."

Admitting that the proposals in the White Paper were generally identical to those in previous years, Tung emphasized a new section from the paper directed at the U.S. government in particular.

AmCham recommended in particular Washington remove Taiwan from the special 301 Watch List regarding IPR violations and restore U.S. president's "fast track" authority for exploring the negotiation of bilateral agreements with Taiwan.

Also, the chamber listed 46 points under Suggested Action Items that it hopes can be resolved early as a goodwill gesture from the new administration.

Tung announced that it will send a delegation to Washington, D.C. from June 2 to 6 on its annual "Doorknock" to discuss the White Paper issues and other matters.

The White Paper further recommended that Taiwan start direct air links with China soon, and remove a 40 percent asset cap on Taiwanese companies' investment in the mainland.

Both items are on Ma's agenda to help bolster Taiwan's economic growth after eight-years of relatively poor results under former President Chen Shui-bian's administration.

Chen rejected close ties to China for the island, fearing that closer links would undermine his pro-independence platform.

ince it was first published in 1996, the AmCham White Paper has served to set the basic annual agenda for the chamber's meetings with government agencies on a wide spectrum of economic and business issues.

Established in 1951, AmCham, which consists of more than 950 individuals representing more than 500 companies, is one of the oldest, largest, and most active foreign business organization in Taiwan.

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