China's mainland has called on Taiwan authorities not
to politicize the mainland's goodwill gift of two giant
pandas amid speculation that Taipei may refuse them.
The offer of the pandas was made to Taiwan last May, after the
historic visit of opposition leader of Kuomintang to the
mainland.
Although the gesture was well-received by more than 70 percent
of Taiwan's public, the ruling pro-independence Democratic
Progressive Party (DPP) administration described the offer of the
cubs as politically motivated.
"We hope Taiwan authorities will not perceive this goodwill
gesture as having political motives," said Li Weiyi, spokesman with
the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council.
The decision about whether the pandas will be allowed into the
island rests with the DPP administration, Li urged the politicians
who were politicizing the issue to think about the Taiwan people's
love of the animals and not to disappoint them by refusing the
gift.
The island's council of agriculture is expected to render a
formal decision by April 3 on whether it will accept the animals.
Two zoos in Taipei have applied for permission to house them.
The decision will be heavily influenced by strong opposition
from Taiwan's leader Chen Shui-bian, who has repeatedly asked
Beijing to drop the idea of giving the island the pandas.
The two pandas offered to Taiwan were picked from 11 animals at
the Wolong Giant Panda Research Centre in the southwestern province
of Sichuan. They were named Tuantuan and Yuanyuan, which means
"reunion" in Chinese.
The giant panda is one of the world's most endangered species
and is only found in China. An estimated 1,800 live in the wild and
180 in zoos and breeding centres.
At the news briefing, Li also condemned the DPP administration
for planning to tighten control over cross-Straits economic and
trade exchanges.
"Such restrictions and intervention will impair Taiwan's
economy," he said.
In line with Chen's call for "effective management" over
cross-Straits ties, Taiwan's mainland affairs council has unveiled
new measures designed to restrict corporate investments in the
mainland.
Under the new rules, mainland-bound investments valued at over
US$100 million will have to undergo an additional "policy review,"
over and above the standard regulatory hurdles local companies
already face.
But the new measures have drawn mounting criticism from the
public and industry and commerce circles on the island.
Despite political tensions, cross-Straits economic ties have
grown stronger over the past two decades.
By the end of 2005, Taiwan investors had funded 68,095 projects
on the mainland, with contract investments of US$89.69 billion.
Trade volume between the two sides reached US$91.23 billion last
year, with the mainland being Taiwan's biggest export market and
largest source of trade surplus.
By 2005 the island had gained an accumulated trade surplus of
US$330 billion from the mainland.
(China Daily March 30, 2006)