VZCZCXRO9947
OO RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #0395/01 0171111
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 171111Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3912
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BEIJING 000395 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL ETRD ECON CH TW
SUBJECT: JANUARY 17 TAO PRESS BRIEFING: CROSS-STRAIT 
RELATIONS IN 2006, TAIWAN FUGITIVES IN MAINLAND, NEW  RULES 
ON TAIWAN JOURNALISTS, CHARTER FLIGHTS 
 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. Key points at the January 17 Taiwan Affairs Office 
(TAO) press briefing were: 
 
-- The spokesman reviewed achievements in 2006, 
including cross-strait trade surpassing US$100 billion 
and the travel of over 4.4 million Taiwan residents to 
the Mainland. 
 
-- He warned that Taiwan "Constitutional Reforms" and 
Taiwan "de jure" independence efforts pose an austere 
challenge to cross-Strait relations. 
 
-- Taiwan fugitive Lee Han-yang's arrest in Yunnan 
Province was detailed, but the spokesmen gave little 
information on the whereabouts of another Taiwan 
fugitive, Wang You-theng. 
 
-- The Mainland continues to support the "Kinmen 
Accord" regarding law enforcement cooperation across 
the Strait. 
 
-- Taiwan journalists traveling to the Mainland after 
the new media regulations implemented on January 1, 
2007 must apply for visas through the Hong Kong or 
Macau Travel Bureaus and do not need TAO approval to 
conduct interviews. 
 
-- The Mainland hopes that the Taiwan authorities will 
change their attitude, remove obstructions and accept 
the gift of two pandas at an early date.  End Summary. 
 
Taiwan Internal Developments 
---------------------------- 
 
¶2. Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) spokesman Yang Yi gave 
a brief report on the work of 2006, in which he 
highlighted the Mainland's willingness to broadly 
develop exchange and dialogue with parties and groups 
from Taiwan as long as they recognize the "1992 
Consensus."  Yang noted achievements such as cross- 
Strait economic forums, cross-Strait trade surpassing 
US$100 billion and the travel of over 4.4 million 
Taiwan residents to the Mainland.  Warning of attempts 
to pass "Constitutional Reforms" and press for de jure 
independence, Yang said such actions pose an austere 
challenge to cross-Strait relations.  The Mainland 
will continue to strive for peaceful unification with 
the utmost sincerity and effort and support the "1992 
Consensus," while refusing to tolerate moves toward 
Taiwan independence or any person who by any method 
attempts to separate Taiwan from China, said Yang. 
 
¶3. Yang said cross-Strait relations in 2006 were 
characterized by "one theme and three 
characteristics." The theme was "peaceful development" 
and the characteristics were (1) the condemnation from 
compatriots on both sides of the Strait of splittist 
forces, (2) the cross-Strait compatriots' further 
deepening of understanding and recognition of the 
prospect of cross-Strait peaceful development and (3) 
the continued momentum in exchanges and cooperation 
between both sides of the Strait in areas such as 
economics and culture. 
 
Taiwan Fugitives on the Mainland 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶4. Yang was asked multiple times by reporters for 
information regarding the whereabouts of Rebar Group 
founder and Chairman Wang You-theng, who is wanted in 
Taiwan for his role in a series of financial scandals, 
and the repatriation of fugitive Taiwan Lee Han-yang, 
who was caught by Mainland authorities in Kunming last 
week.  In addition to giving details of Lee's arrest, 
the spokesman said that Lee Han-yang's case is in the 
process of repatriation in accordance with the Kinmen 
Agreement and that the specific date of repatriation 
will be decided through negotiations of Red Cross 
organizations on both sides of the strait.  (NOTE: 
Taiwan police announced that Lee and his accomplice 
would be repatriated this week.) 
 
¶5. In regards to Wang You-theng, Yang said that the 
TAO knows only what has been reported in the Taiwan 
media, which claimed Wang left Shanghai on January 13. 
As the Taiwan authorities did not notify the Mainland 
of Wang's case until January 15, accusations that the 
Mainland would not repatriate the wanted person are 
 
BEIJING 00000395  002 OF 003 
 
 
groundless.  The TAO does not know when Wang entered 
or departed the Mainland, but confirmed that he had 
valid identification documents for traveling to 
Mainland.  Asked to comment on a suggestion made by 
Taiwan's "Mainland Affairs Commission" that the 
Commission's "Political Section" has been in direct 
"contact" with the TAO, Yang said that the TAO did not 
receive any such "phone call." 
 
¶6. Asked by a Taiwan reporter if the "Kinmen Accord" 
of 1990 needed to be broadened to promote cross-Strait 
crime fighting, Yang declined to address such a need, 
stating that Mainland judicial authorities promote law 
enforcement cooperation across the Strait and the 
protection of Taiwan compatriots' lives and 
possessions.  Yang mentioned two cases of such 
cooperation this year and added that the April 2005 
consensus reached between Hu Jintao and Lien Chan 
emphasized the continued promotion of such work. 
 
New Rules for Taiwan Journalists 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶7. Taiwan journalists traveling to the Mainland after 
January 2007 now must apply for visas through the Hong 
Kong or Macau Travel Bureaus, said Yang when asked 
which department would handle the entrance permit 
procedures.  Additionally, Yang said that reporters 
from Taiwan require only the permission from the 
relevant organization or individual when conducting 
interviews, whereas before the permission of the TAO 
Information Bureau was required. 
 
2006 Cross-Strait Trade Statistics 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶8. Yang elaborated on four characteristics of cross- 
Strait economic development in 2006: (1) the 
continuing trend of cross-Strait development; (2) 
continued frequent exchanges and cooperation in areas 
of agriculture and information industry; (3) the 
development of the "three transits," precipitating 
direct cross-strait charter flights over the holidays 
and freight shipping charter flights; and (4) the 
further improvement of the Mainland environment for 
Taiwan enterprises and the gradual warming of cross- 
Strait financial exchange and cooperation.  According 
to Ministry of Commerce statistics for 2006, 3,752 
Taiwan investment projects were approved with 
contracts worth US$11.34 billion, including US$2.14 
billion in Taiwan investment.  Cross-strait trade 
reached a total of US$107.84 billion, constituting an 
18.2% increase from 2005.  Mainland exports to Taiwan 
amounted to US$20.74 billion, an increase of 25.3% 
from 2005, and imports from Taiwan were worth US$87.11 
billion, up 16.6% from the previous year. 
 
Charter Flights and Tourism 
--------------------------- 
 
¶9. The spokesman reiterated the Mainland's support for 
cross-Strait tourism and both weekend and normalized 
direct charter flights, when asked for information on 
developments in these areas.  Yang said that the 
Mainland has completed all preparations and that 
substantial developments have been made between cross- 
Strait private tourism organizations.  Regarding 
direct weekend charter flights and the normalization 
of direct charter flights, Yang expressed the 
Mainland's hopes that negotiations can commence as 
early as possible between private organizations on 
both sides of the Strait. 
 
Mainland Pandas to Taiwan 
------------------------- 
 
¶10.  The Mainland hopes that the Taiwan authorities 
will change their attitude, remove obstructions and 
accept the Mainland's gift of two pandas so that all 
Taiwan compatriots, especially Taiwan's children, can 
realize their panda dream at an early date, said Yang 
in a lengthy response to a question from Xinhua News 
Agency.  Yang described the care of the two pandas, 
Tuantuan and Yuanyuan, over the past year. 
 
Increase in Cross-Strait Exchanges 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶11. Asked for further details on exchanges between the 
Mainland and Taiwan by a CCTV reporter, Yang mentioned 
the increased number of persons traveling between the 
 
BEIJING 00000395  003 OF 003 
 
 
two sides, successful exchanges in arts and culture 
and the growing number of high-quality exchange 
programs such as the Cross-Strait Youth Forum. 
 
 
RANDT