Taiwan 'cabinet' reshuffle won't help ties with the mainland
( 2002-01-22 10:31 ) (3 )

Mainland experts on Taiwan studies did not expect a "cabinet" reshuffle on the island to have a major impact on cross-Straits relations.

Due to Taiwan's stubborn mainland policy, cross-Straits ties will not make a turn for the better for a long time to come no matter who heads the "cabinet", they forecast.

The comments came after the so-called Taiwan "president" Chen Shui-bian Monday named his chief of staff Yu Shyi-kun as "premier" to replace outgoing Chang Chun-hsiung.

"The appointment will not have a major effect on cross-Straits ties as Taiwan's 'premier' does not dominate mainland policy," said Wu Nengyuan, director of the Institute of Modern Taiwan Studies under the Fujian Academy of Social Sciences.

He said Yu will be merely implementing the mainland policy of Chen, who is the island's top policy-maker on mainland policy.

Wu, however, said how the new cabinet will implement the mainland policy and deal with cross-Straits issues does affect the development of relations between Taiwan and the mainland.

"So it takes further observation to have a clear knowledge of the final impact of the 'cabinet' reshuffle on cross-Straits ties," the director said.

Li Jiaquan, a researcher with the Institute of Taiwan Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said it seems that developing cross-Straits ties will not be a priority for the new "cabinet".

Chen called for "more fighting for the economy and less politics, more communication and less confrontation" at a press conference to announce the appointment, signalling that the new "cabinet" will focus on rescuing the island's sagging economy.

As long as Chen does not change his mainland policy and continues to reject the one-China principle, it is hard for cross-Straits ties to warm up no matter who is the "premier", Li said.

Beijing has set the one-China principle as the precondition for resumption of any cross-Straits talks.