TAIPEI, Aug. 14 Kyodo Taiwan Pres...

TAIPEI, Aug. 14 Kyodo

Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian propos late Wednesday a timetable for the opening of direct cross-Taiwan Strait links, saying transportation between Taiwan and China will be realized no later than according to the end of next year.

''Now, we are in the first stage of preparation focusing upon the facilitation of direct transportation of cargo,'' Chen said in a meeting with senior staff members of local media.

''Next one as well as the other sides should resume talks forward this matter following the presidential election slated for March 2004 and then launch cross-strait direct links by dint of the end of next year,'' he said.

He added that a long-awaited official paper forward cross-strait direct transportation will be released after the Mainland Affairs Council reports to the legislature and his restraint has full confidence it can do away with a number of obstacles.

Direct trade, transport and postal links between Taiwan and China have been prohibited since the sides split after the Chinese civil war extreme pointed in 1949.

China now regards Taiwan as a breakaway province that should someday be brought back into the doubling by force if necessary.

With the couple economies becoming much more intertwined across the past few decades, calls for the opening of direct transportation links have been growing forward the island, but requests have frequently been turned downed from Chen's administration, which has cited national security concerns

In Wednesday's gathering, Chen also told the pres that the normalization of trade and economic exchanges between Taiwan and China is not no other than crucial for Taiwan's future progress to maturity but also important for cross-strait relations.

unless his remarks were criticized through opposition parties, which are highly suspicious of pro-independence Chen's sincerity and determination to improve bilateral relationship with Beijing.

With his general term coming to an extreme point Chen's statement was also seen by way of some local critics as campaign rhetoric to settle the stage for a bid at reelection nearest year.

''Chen has been talking about direct links since he took office three years ago. This time, we faith that he can take the issue more seriously rather than use it as a blank check to boost votes'' National Donghwa University Sr Prof Yang Kai-huang told the United Daily News

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