Vice-Premier Qian Qichen described an early implementation of cross-Straits trade, transport and postal services as "the trend of the times, the desire of the people and the most pressing matter of the moment.''

"The establishment of cross-Straits communications links should not be further put off because it conforms to immediate interests of the majority of Taiwanese businessmen and will also bring great convenience to all Taiwanese people,'' Qian said.

He was clearly pointing to the practice of Taiwan authorities of paying only lip service to the establishment of the links despite mounting pressure from across the Taiwan Straits.

The vice-premier, one of the mainland's top policy-makers on Taiwan affairs, made the remarks at a high-profile seminar to commemorate the eighth anniversary of President Jiang Zemin's important speech on the Taiwan question, which was made on January 30, 1995.

Jiang put forward an eight-point proposal to develop cross-Straits relations, aimed at giving an impetus to peaceful reunification between Taiwan and the mainland.

Referring to Taipei's hesitance on lifting the decades-old ban on the three direct links out of political considerations, Qian said these links are purely economic matters and should not be affected by any political factors.

"Talks about opening up the three links are not political negotiations and may not touch upon the political meaning of one China,'' the vice-premier said.

His suggestion is apparently in line with Beijing's long-standing principle of not letting political disputes affect and interfere with cross-Straits economic co-operation.

The current political stalemate in cross-Straits ties has yet to be broken due to Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian's refusal to accept the one-China principle -- both Taiwan and the mainland are part of China.

Moreover, the Taiwan leader from the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party has managed to hinder the implementation of the three links since he took power in May 2000.

Qian proposed arranging the most flexible consultations and taking simple and feasible measures to realize the three links as soon as possible.

He suggested the links be established at once after private groups and industrial organizations across the Straits reach agreement on related technical and business problems and then win acknowledgement from the respective authorities.

Qian's overture came just two days before the start of a landmark scheme for Taiwanese civil airlines to conduct the first cross-Straits indirect charter flights between Shanghai and Taipei.

A China Airlines plane will be the first to land on mainland soil for about 53 years when it touches down tomorrow. It will fly Taiwanese business people and their families home for the traditional Chinese Lunar New Year Day.

At a press conference Friday, Li Weiyi, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, also called for the early realization of direct air transportation across the Taiwan Straits.

"The only way to fundamentally resolve the inconvenience for Taiwan compatriots in cross-Straits travel is to realize direct air transportation,'' said Li.

He said related departments on the mainland have already prepared well and called for the Taiwan authorities to remove various unreasonable restrictions swiftly and make earnest efforts to bring about direct air transportation.

In a later speech at the seminar, Chen Yunlin, director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said the realization of the three links also stems from an objective requirement of closer economic ties and strengthened civilian exchanges across the Taiwan Straits.

Last year, mainland visits by Taiwanese people reached 3 million and cross-Straits indirect trade volume topped US$40 billion for the first time, Chen said.

A total of 4,853 Taiwanese-funded projects on the mainland were approved last year, with a contractual investment of US$6.74 billion.

Chen said an early realization of the three links will not only help the island save its sagging economy but also benefit bilateral economic and trade ties.

During his speech, Qian reiterated the mainland's call for resumption of cross-Straits political talks, saying Beijing has the greatest sincerity in promoting the issue.

He pledged that all sensitive political issues can be fully discussed during future cross-Straits talks, which will have an open agenda and equal status for both sides.

Talks between Taipei and Beijing were broken off after former Taiwan leader Lee Teng-hui introduced his notorious "two states'' theory on July 9, 1999, which defines cross-Straits relations as state-to-state relationship.

Nevertheless, Li with the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council told the press Friday that acknowledgement of the common consensus reached in 1992 is still the key for the resumption of talks.

"The crux of whether the Association for Relations across the Taiwan Straits and the Straits Exchange Foundation can resume their talks this year lies with (whether) the Taiwan authorities will face squarely the history and reality and acknowledge the common consensus reached in 1992,'' said Li.

"Only by doing so (acknowledging the consensus) can dialogue and negotiations be resumed at an early date.''

Renewing a peace overture to the island, Qian also noted that Beijing has the greatest determination, greatest sincerity and will exert the greatest efforts to seek peaceful reunification.

But the vice-premier warned against any pro-independence activities, including Chen Shui-bian's advocacy of "one country at each side (of the Straits)'' on August 3, 2002, noting any attempts to split Taiwan from China will never be allowed.

"The attempt to rely on foreign forces to stir military confrontation (across the Taiwan Straits) is doomed to failure,'' he said.

(People?s Daily January 25, 2003)