Hong Kong Symposium Stresses Earlier Unification of China

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, May 27, 2002

Hong Kong Symposium Stresses Earlier Unification of China

Pro-unification figures and academia from around the world gathered together in Hong Kong at asymposium recently, calling for Taiwan's earlier unification of China.

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Pro-unification figures and academia from around the world gathered together in Hong Kong at asymposium recently, calling for Taiwan's earlier unification of China.

Referring to Taiwan's increasing economic difficulties caused by some persons' separatist attitude, Tang Shubei, chairman of theAssociation for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARAT), reiterated the benefit of reunifying with the mainland under the principle of "one country, two systems."

Tang spoke at the "One Country, Two Systems and the Unificationof China Symposium" organized by Democratic Alliance for Betterment of Hong Kong in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

"As of February this year, countries and regions that have granted visa-free entry to Hong Kong SAR's passport holders have reached 108.

"This demonstrates to our Taiwan compatriots that Taiwan's separatist efforts to attempt to create two China's or "one China,one Taiwan" is contrary to the interests of the people of Taiwan,"Tang said.

Only by realizing cross-straits unification will the compatriots in Taiwan be able to share the motherland's dignity reputation on the international political stage together with the compatriots of Hong Kong and Macao, he stressed.

Taiwan's key legislator P.K. Chiang was already venting his worries on Taiwan's down-sliding economy recently, and was urging the authorities in Taiwan to implement the Three Exchanges (namely,exchanges in trade, shipping and postal services) with the motherland, which are necessary for Taiwan's economic prosperity.

Chiang told the US-based magazine, BusinessWeek Online that notuntil the Three Exchanges are fully implemented will Taiwanese manufacturers be able to maintain their competitiveness.

He admitted the investment climate has worsened in Taiwan, and China's mainland has more actively improved its economic climate, especially in the past two years.

One of the benefits of the Three Exchanges is the direct trade link.

Just to use the Hong Kong SAR as an example, the mainland's direct investment in Hong Kong SAR is reported to be the Hong Kong's biggest source by the end of 1999, reported the March 2002 edition Friends of Hong Kong and Macao Quarterly.

Tang Shubei also cited both the Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR as examples of China's mainland's determination to allow them to dealwith certain aspects of their external relations on their own.

"The Hong Kong SAR government, acting on behalf of the Central government of the People's Republic of China, has taken part in 24international organizations normally only taken part in by sovereign powers, such as International Aviation Association, the International Monetary Fund, etc," he said.

However, Tang said, the Taiwan authorities' intransigent attitude has led to their refusal to resume talks with the mainland on unification and to accept the implementation of the Three Exchanges.

Wu Jianfan, a researcher at the Institute of Law of the ChineseAcademy of Social Sciences, stressed at the symposium that as a solution for peaceful reunification, the principle of "one country,two systems" will enable the people of Taiwan to enjoy a significant share of the power and continue to be the masters of their own destiny.

"We believe that Taiwan should recognize that the reunificationof Taiwan with China's mainland is an irresistible trend and that the principle of 'one country, two systems policy' is the best andmost flexible solution to guarantee the interests of the people of Taiwan," Wu added.

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