Taipei, Oct. 30 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian said Wednesday that the oft-talked about, long-awaited direct "three links" will not be decided upon before officials from both sides of the Taiwan Strait sit down and talk.
During an audience with visiting members of the European Parliament-Taiwan Friendship Group at the Presidential Office, Chen once again called for the resumption of official dialogue and negotiations between Taiwan and mainland China to resolve the direct "three links" issue, referring to direct trade, postal and transportation links between Taiwan and mainland China.
Chen said there should be no political preconditions to the opening of the cross-strait "three links" talks, and Taiwan should by no means be "dwarfed, localized or marginalized" because of the talks and their implementation.
The president told the European parliamentarians, who have expressed concerns about the development of cross-Taiwan Strait relations, that he will continue to push for the normalization of cross-strait relations based on principles of "peace, cooperation and reconciliation."
Chen said according to his observation, he thinks the integration of the European Union and the unification of East and West Germany are greatly different from the development of cross-strait relations in terms of mentality and altitude.
In the process of EU integration and German unification, the notions of democracy, equality and peace were fully observed, Chen noted.
Democracy means that the will of the people is respected, while equality means that both sides are on an equal-footing with neither side being greater than the other, Chen said. Peace means no use of force or intimidation against the opposite side, he continued.
To his chagrin, Chen told the European dignitaries, the development of cross-strait relations has not been blessed with those three notions, pointing out that firstly, the Chinese leadership has not respected the will of the 23 million people on Taiwan, who do not want to see Taiwan become a "second Hong Kong" under Beijing's "one country, two systems" scheme.
Secondly, he said, cross-strait relations have been unequal. Unlike East and West Germany, which were members of the United Nations before they unified, mainland China has continued to bar Taiwan from entering the UN even though it has usurped the China seat years ago by having the Republic of China on Taiwan expelled.
Thirdly, he continued, the Taiwan Strait has not been peaceful over the past several years. The estimated 400 ballistic missiles deployed in coastal areas opposite Taiwan has made the Taiwan Strait one of the sources of tension in the Asian-Pacific region, Chen said.