Five Common Aspirations and Prospects

The CPC and KMT jointly issued a press communique April 29, 2005, which states that the two parties have reached a five-point consensus for "promoting peace and development across the Taiwan Strait."

According to the communique, the two parties have agreed to work together to promote an earlier restoration of cross-strait talks, the formal end of hostility across the Taiwan Strait, all-around economic and trade relations and "three direct links" across the Taiwan Strait, discussions of Taiwan's participation in international activities and the establishment of a regular platform for party-to-party exchange:

Promote the earlier restoration of equal consultations across the Taiwan Strait on the basis of the "1992 Consensus," discuss issues of common concern and issues concerned by each party, and promote the favorable and sound development of cross-strait relations

Promote the formal end of hostility across the Taiwan Strait and reach a peace accord, establish a framework for peaceful and steady development of cross-strait relations, including a mechanism of military mutual trust in order to avoid armed conflicts between the two sides

Promote economic cooperation across the Taiwan Strait and establish close economic and trade cooperative relations, including all-round, direct and two-direction "three links," opening direct air and marine transport, strengthening exchanges and guarantees of investment and trade, carrying out agricultural and fishing cooperation, sales of Taiwan farm products on the mainland, improving exchange orders, jointly cracking down on crime, establishing a stable economic cooperation mechanism and discussion of the cross-strait common market

Promote discussion on the issue of Taiwan's participation in international activities after the resumption of dialogue across the Taiwan Strait, including priority given to discussion about Taiwan's participation in World Health Organization activities, with the two sides jointly finding a step-by-step resolution to the issue

Establish a regular communication platform between the two parties, including visits between party members at different levels, holding discussions on issues related to improving cross-strait relations and inviting people from all walks of life to join in discussions on issues concerning the interests of people across the Taiwan Strait

New Policies to Promote Cross-strait Trade and Economic Ties

China announced at the closing ceremony of the first Cross-strait Economic and Trade Forum a package of 15 policies to promote economic and trade relations across the Taiwan Strait.

The package is comprised of three sets of policies directly stipulated by the State Council and 12 others formulated by departments under the Central Government.

The three sets of State Council policies follow:

- Add four species to a list of Taiwan-grown fruits, currently naming 18 species, for Taiwan exporters

- Adopt a zero-tax policy on imports of 11 kinds of vegetables produced by Taiwanese farmers

- Allow more imports of Taiwan's aquatic products, with no tax on some of the products, and apply the same policies to Taiwanese fishing boats as to their mainland counterparts in terms of selling their own products

The other 12 policies are as follows:

- Three more cross-strait agricultural cooperation pilot zones will be set up in the mainland cities of Foshan and Zhanjiang, in Guangdong Province, and Yulin in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Moreover, Zhangpu City of Fujian Province and Qixia City of Shandong Province will establish two business hatching parks for Taiwanese farmers.

- The mainland's federation of supply and marketing cooperatives will help organize mainland farm product dealers to visit Taiwan for group procurements during the peak fruit harvest seasons.

- A special marketing center will be set up in Xiamen City, Fujian, to increase convenience and reduce costs for Taiwan's fruit imports.

- The mainland will open a "green corridor" for transportation of Taiwan fruit, to reduce shipping costs.

- The mainland will recognize university diplomas issued in Taiwan.

- The mainland will issue the Method on the Management of Mainland Residents to Visit Taiwan Area.

- The Ministry of Public Security will add Shenyang, Dalian and Chengdu to the cities that can issue valid passes for Taiwanese visitors to enter the mainland, in addition to the current five cities-Haikou, Sanya, Xiamen, Fuzhou and Shanghai.

- Taiwanese people will be allowed to become customs agents after passing official examinations on the mainland.

- Special clinics will be established for Taiwanese visitors in some mainland cities. Doctors working in these clinics could come either from the mainland or from Taiwan, but they have to acquire official approval by mainland authorities.

- In the future, Taiwanese visitors may receive necessary documents from mainland hospitals and clinics in order to more conveniently report medical expenditures when they return home.

- Taiwanese investors will be allowed to establish joint venture hospitals on the mainland with local partners, while investors from Taiwan could hold as much as a 70 percent stake.

- Taiwanese people will be allowed to receive a license for medical practice on the mainland after they pass official examinations. They will be permitted to work on the mainland for a period of one year, but the term could be extended by mainland authorities after expiration.

(Source: Xinhua News Agency)