CHINA> Taiwan, HK, Macao
|
CHINA> Taiwan, HK, Macao
|
|
Cross-Straits ties should ride 'good momentum'
By Wu Jiao (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-07-10 07:17 The two-day symposium attracted 171 participants, including 96 from Taiwan. It held discussions on the prospects and peaceful development of cross-Straits relations. Taiwan's New Party chairman, Yok Mu-ming, who also attended the forum, said that "more in-depth communication should be carried forward after a good start to the cross-Straits direct flights on July 4". For Huang Renwei, vice-president of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, a closer partnership between the two sides in economics and trade will help address political and security problems. For instance, as long as cross-Straits tourism increases and more people from across the Straits travel to other countries, both sides might call for dual consular protection and a second passport, Huang said. "Researchers and businessmen from the two sides can also work together in building the same brands, studying climate change and environmental protection, and jointly seeking a larger role in the international community," Huang said.
Taiwan University professor Chang Lin-cheng also said that, despite an array of topics covered, the two sides should take a step-by-step approach in pursuing peaceful development. Cross-Straits communication should proceed on topics that people can agree on, including economic and cultural communication, and gradually advance to more issues, based on adequate trust, Chang said. Zhang Hanlin, president of the WTO Research Institute, University of International Business and Economics, proposed to set up a free trade zone of the two sides to join efforts and win more international business and settle international trade disputes. "This is a good approach to jointly face the challenges of globalization," Zhang told the forum. |
