China Aims To Annex Taiwan Economically Via 'Haixi Plan': Adviser

CHINA AIMS TO ANNEX TAIWAN ECONOMICALLY VIA 'HAIXI PLAN': ADVISER
(By Deborah Kuo)
539 words
16 April 2006
Central News Agency English News
English
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Taipei, April 16 (CNA) Beijing's plan to develop China's Fujian Province into a "peaceful cooperation experimental district on the west side of the Taiwan Strait" -- known by its shortened name as the "Haixi district development plan " -- is aimed at annexing Taiwan economically, a Presidential Office adviser said Sunday.

Ruan Ming, a national policy adviser to President Chen Shui-bian, warned at a press conference on the implications of the just-concluded economic forum between the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) and the Communist Party of China (CPC) held in Beijing that the Beijing leadership put forth a "tremendously dangerous" slogan at the forum, namely "district to district, enterprise to enterprise and private sector to private sector" in terms of cross-strait efforts to boost trade and business exchanges across the strait.

This slogan fully underscores the strategic goal of Beijing's "Haixi district development plan, " which was put forward by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao during the National People's Congress in early March aimed at persuading more Taiwan businesses and industries to relocate their operations to Fujian and further "dwarfing Taiwan into a local district of China," Ruan said.

Ruan said that Beijing's according high-profile hospitality to KMT honorary Chairman Lien Chan and the offering of 15 incentive measures to Taiwan during the forum were mainly aimed at helping alleviate pressure that the United States is likely to exert on Beijing when U.S. President George W. Bush meets with President Hu Jintao in Washington, D.C. this week regarding economic, human rights and religious freedom issues.

The adviser made the analysis during the press conference sponsored by the Taiwan Association of University Professors.

Ruan invited his audience to view the politics and economies of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait separately, saying that politically, Taiwan is a free country with its own full sovereignty, while China is a totalitarian regime ruled by the Chinese communists.

Economically, he said, Taiwan can talk with the Chinese government on economic issues if the principles of equality and reciprocity exist. If this is the case, he said, Taiwan doesn't need to take a hostile stance toward China, although Taiwan should by no means condone China's plot to strip Taiwan of its sovereignty.

On Beijing's offering Taiwan the 15 incentive measures, Ruan said that despite China's rapid economic and industrial growth, the country is facing major problems in its agricultural sector, health system and educational reforms. China's opening of its doors to Taiwan medical professionals and larger-scale agricultural imports are part of its strategic scheming, he claimed.

He reminded Taiwan that before engaging in cooperation in the establishment of an agricultural cooperation experimental district in China, which would unavoidably involve Taiwan's agricultural high-tech know-how, Taiwan should demand that China follow international norms and regulations in terms of patent rights and intellectual property rights protection.

Ruan said Taiwan should work to prevent its hard-earned agricultural technology advances from being used by China for nothing. If it doesn't stop this from happening, he said, the Taiwan agricultural sector's international competitiveness will be compromised in the long run.