Beijing respects Taiwan's choice of social system: Chinese official

Want China Times, CNA 2014-06-28

Zhang Zhijun at the Kaohsiung high speed rail station, June 27. (Photo/CNA)

Beijing respects Taiwan's choice of social system and values, China's Taiwan affairs chief said Friday during talks with the mayor of Kaohsiung, Taiwan's second-largest municipality.

Zhang Zhijun, minister of China's Taiwan Affairs Office, traveled by high-speed rail from New Taipei to the southern municipality to meet with mayor Chen Chu, a senior member of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party.

Zhang, who arrived in Taiwan two days earlier, first met with Chen when the mayor visited Tianjin last August to promote the 2013 Asia Pacific Cities Summit in her city–a move seen as an easing of China's no-contact policy toward the independence-leaning DPP.

In addition to inter-city cooperation, the second meeting with Chen also touchd upon issues on the development of cross-strait relations, Zhang told the media after their meeting near the Kaohsiung Arena.

He admitted that although the two sides of the strait have lots of shared historical memory, they maintain certain differences in terms of lifestyle, social systems and values.

"We are aware that the Taiwanese people appreciate their choice of social system and lifestyle, and the mainland also respects these," he said.

He acknowledged that when promoting cross-strait relations, Beijing needs to listen more to different opinions, including those in southern Taiwan, to find effective solutions to problems.

He also said that Beijing encourages exchanges with Taiwan and welcomes the participation of all sectors regardless of political affiliation and religious belief.

Zhang's remarks were apparently made in response to displeasure caused among Taiwanese by a statement earlier in the month by Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Fan Liqing that the future of Taiwan "must be decided by all Chinese people, including Taiwanese compatriots."

Chen told Zhang during the meeting that the two sides should listen and understand each other more to move cross-strait exchanges steadily forward.

Chen said that Taiwan's democracy did not develop by itself but was rather the result of a hard-won fight by its people. Fan's statement with regard to Taiwan's future is therefore unacceptable to Taiwan's government and the opposition, she added.

"Taiwan's 23 million people cherish Taiwan's freedom to decide its own destiny very much, and we hope China will understand and respect Taiwan," she said.

On inter-city cooperation, the mayor proposed increasing the current flight services between Kaohsiung and various Chinese cities, promoting cross-strait cruise travel to boost tourism and expanding agricultural and fishery exports to China.

As with every other stop on his trip, several dozen anti-China protesters showed up at train stations and outside the Kaohsiung arena and held posters stating Taiwan and China are two different countries and demanding Zhang return to China.

Two demonstrators were injured when they were pulled away by the police from their attempt to block the motorcade in which Zhang and other Chinese officials were traveling.

Zhang Zhijun, right, visits a fruit farm in Kaohsiung, June 27. (Photo/CNA)

Zhang Zhijun, chief of Chinese mainland's  Taiwan affairs, talks with

people from Atayal tribe in Taiwan (China Xinhua News)

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