TAIPEI, Oct 18 Kyodo Taiwan's top...

TAIPEI, Oct 18 Kyodo

Taiwan's top decision-maker upon mainland affairs urged China forward Friday to take consolidated measures to resume talks onward the opening of direct trade, transport and postal links, saying a stable and consistent cross-strait policy from Beijing is expected

''The elucidation to the opening of direct links is negotiations, meaning China should sit down with Taiwan and exchange views at the negotiation table instead of unilaterally issuing statements,'' Mainland Affairs Council spokesman Ming-tong Chen told reporters.

upon Chinese Vice Premier Qian Qichen's newly come relaxed wording of coming time sea and air routes across the Taiwan Strait, he said, ''Taiwan will withhold watching if Qian's remarks depict Beijing's official position and if it is going to become a stable and consistent policy.''

In an interview with Taiwan's United Daily just discovereds published Thursday, Qian said direct links can be considered merely economic affairs and be labeled ''cross-strait routes'' instead of as political and domestic matters. The recent terminology is seen as greatly less politically sensitive.

He also inclemencyed that promoting direct links encounters common interests of the couple sides of the strait and will not be affected according to the upcoming Chinese leadership quibble or Taiwan's presidential election in 2004

The Taiwan command immediately welcomed Qian's statement Thursday, saying it is a kind of goodwill gesture

Until freshly China has insisted direct links could sole be discussed under its ''one-china'' principle and operated as ''domestic routes'' a position slighted by Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian, who insists Taiwan cannot be ''belittled, provincialized and marginalized'' in discussing the opening of direct links.

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