Taipei, Sept. 9 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian promised Tuesday that Taiwan will try to hasten the indirect shipping links between Taiwan and mainland China before October, when his administration is scheduled to stage an international business-promotion conference in Taipei.
Speaking to members of the Chinese National Association of Industry and Commerce, the president said his administration has come up with a plan to speed up indirect shipping links between Taiwan and the mainland as a stopgap measure prior to the establishment of direct links.
Although the plan cannot be carried out without Beijing's cooperation, which is difficult for his administration to obtain, Chen promised that the government will do all it can to carry out as much of the plan as possible before October.
Chen also said his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has not yet named its candidate for the 2004 presidential election because it is devoting all its energies into boosting the economy, which he described as far more important than the presidential election.
He urged the opposition to give up their partisan bickering and cooperate with the DPP in bolstering the economy.
There is no panacea for the country's economic ills, Chen said, but the government's strategy is to develop Taiwan while exploring the world and giving Taiwan's economic development the top priority.