China takes cautious track on Taiwan

By Willy Wo-Lap Lam
CNN Senior China Analyst

(CNN) -- Statements on Taiwan by China's regional cadres have suggested Beijing is proceeding cautiously with its apparent olive branch to the island's governing pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

At a function last Thursday to mark the seventh anniversary of President Jiang Zemin's "eight point Taiwan initiative," Vice-premier Qian Qichen said DPP members with "appropriate status" were welcome to visit the mainland.

Qian's ground-breaking remarks, however, were not mentioned by provincial officials who also held meetings to celebrate Jiang's initiative, whose gist was "Chinese will not fight Chinese."

At a talk in Wuhan last Friday, Vice-party Secretary of Hubei Yang Yongliang did not mention the DPP and merely appealed to Taiwan businesses to make more investment in the central province.

The rhetoric of some regional officials was also harsher than Qian's largely conciliatory speech.

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At a meeting in Shandong Province last Saturday, the Vice-party Secretary of Shandong Wu Aiying blasted Taipei authorities for pursuing separatism by using means that "instigate contradictions and engender social strife."

Political analysts in Beijing said the Chinese leadership would continue to adopt a cautious approach to relations with the DPP unless there is a positive response from Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian on the "one China principle."

Last weekend, the China-run Hong Kong paper, Wen Wei Po, quoted a senior Chinese official as specifying qualifications to Qian's invitation to DPP members to visit the mainland.

The official said Beijing still refused to have official contact with the DPP and that DPP members could only visit the mainland in private capacities.

He added that top-level DPP members such as Chairman Frank Hsieh, who has expressed a wish to visit China, would still be barred.

The Chairman of Taiwan's cabinet-level Mainland Affairs Council, Tsai Ying-wen, said over the weekend it was difficult to say whether Qian's statement represented a "fundamental change" in Beijing's Taiwan policy.

Pro-unification Taiwan politicians estimate that only about 20 DPP legislators deemed "moderate" by Beijing might be allowed to visit the mainland in non-official capacities.