BEIJING, June 30 (Xinhuanet) -- If the Taiwan authority accepts former Vice Premier Qian Qichen's whole stance and propositions on the "three direct links", the mainland side would be willing to negotiate with any authorized nongovernmental organization from Taiwan, said the spokesman of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council.
Li Weiyi, spokesman of the office, made this comment on the words of officials of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council on June 13,who said that if the Chinese mainland returned to "the stance of Qian Qichen", the two sides across the Strait could begin to negotiate about the "three direct links".
"My office had noticed that officials of some Taiwan departments had made some comments on the 'three direct links'," said Li.
He said that the "three direct links" of mail, trade and transport services across the Strait conforms to the general trends of the times and people's aspirations, and benefits the common interests of the compatriots of both sides. The Chinese mainland has worked consistently for an earlier realization of the "three direct links" across the Strait under the principle of "one China, direct and two-way, and mutual benefit".
In order to promote the earlier opening of the "three direct links" across the Strait, Qian Qichen, once a vice premier of the State Council, made a series of speeches on the question of the "three direct links", Li said.
Qian noted four major points in his speeches. Firstly, putting the people first and benefiting the people is the starting point of solving the "three direct links". Secondly, the "three direct links" is an issue between the two sides across the Strait, not between two states, and the air and sea routes between the two sides are not international ones.
Thirdly, the "three direct links" is an economic issue and talks on opening the links can leave aside the political connotations of "one China". Fourthly, the way to realize the "three direct links" should be simplified and flexible, and should be reached by negotiations between non-governmental organizations of the two sides.
That the "three direct links" is a domestic issue was the core of Qian's remarks, on which the two sides can leave aside the political connotations of "one China" during the technical negotiations, Li noted.
Li said that Qian's remarks had received strong positive responses from the compatriots in Taiwan island, especially the industry and commerce circles.
But the leaders of the Taiwan authority took various measures to hinder the "three direct links" in the past four years. They paid lip service to the "three direct links" but did the opposite in practice, noted Li.
They persisted in putting the links between two sides into their "one country on each side" frame, which has become the major barrier to the realization of "three direct links" across the Strait, Li said.
