Taiwan News
Date: 2016-03-21
By: Central News Agency

Former Vice President Vincent Siew is expected to express Taiwan’s stance during the Boao Forum for Asia that kicks off Tuesday in China that economic and trade relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait should not be affected by political change, an executive of the Cross-Strait Common Market Foundation said Monday.

Siew will depart Wednesday for the forum in Hainan Province in southern China at the head of a 33-member Taiwanese delegation composed of business representatives and economic and trade specialists, said Chen Te-sheng, executive director of the foundation that is organizing the visit.

Siew will meet with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang March 24 and attend a dinner party hosted by Zhang Zhijun, China’s Taiwan affairs minister, that evening, said Chen.

Siew will be representing Taiwan in his capacity as honorary chairman of the foundation, Chen went on, noting that Siew will hold a press conference regarding his meeting with Li after the dinner party.

With less than two months before president-elect Tsai Ing-wen’s administration is sworn in May 20, the timing is crucial for Siew to call on the Chinese authorities to facilitate cross-strait economic and trade exchanges through a platform trusted by both sides.     [FULL  STORY]