The mayor of Taiwan's Taichung city, Jason C. Hu, has called for
the active promotion and implementation of interaction across the
Taiwan Straits in an interview with Xinhua Thursday.
"I've always hoped that cross-Straits interaction can be
actively promoted and implemented, but the Democratic Progressive
Party authority is unable to face the mainland positively," he
said. "This will impair the competitiveness of Taiwan, which makes
people worried."
"Why can't the two sides cooperate and make money from
foreigners," Hu quoted Lien Chan, Honorary Chairman of the
Kuomingtang Party, as saying.
If the two sides could not cooperate, the effect on Taiwan was
much worse than on the Chinese mainland, Hu said.
"Why should we step into an unfavorable situation which is
unfavorable to both sides? There are no indication that
cross-Straits relations will improve in 2007 and I hope ties
improve substantially and a mutually beneficial situation will be
realized in 2008," he said.
Hu also referred to the cooperation between Taichung and Xiamen,
a coastal city in southeast China's Fujian province. "Taichung and Xiamen have
frequent exchanges in trade, culture and education as the two
cities are geographically close and mutually complementary in many
areas," Hu said, adding Taichung also had ties with Jilin, his
birthplace.
(Xinhua News Agency December 29, 2006)