Taipei, Jan. 8 (CNA) The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) , which charts Taiwan's China policy, has plenty of tasks to tackle before the March presidential election, MAC Chairman Chen Ming-tung said at a press conference Tuesday.
The MAC will try to advance the Refugee Law and relax the employment regulations governing spouses from China in the new legislative session, said Chen, who also offered "five appeals" to the Chinese government, urging it to re-engage in cross-Taiwan Strait negotiation.
Bilateral negotiations on charter and passenger flights and accepting more Chinese tourists have been halted since last July due to China's refusal to continue the dialogue.
"I had trouble understanding what was on their minds during the past six months as there has been no response from them at all. The chartered flights, the opening of Chinese tourists...were all beneficial to people on both sides of the strait. And
Chinese President Hu Jintao has said time and again that China is all for the good of the people. So why the hesitation and stalling? " Chen asked.
In addition to resuming the negotiations, Chen also called for China to engage in peaceful cross-strait development and the normalization of bilateral relations, abandon its "one China" framework, remove more than 1,000 missiles targeting Taiwan and stop its military threats.
"We also urge China to observe Taiwan's upcoming elections rationally and stop interfering the democratic process publicly and privately, " he said.
The MAC will not stop doing its job because of the upcoming elections and potential change of power, he went on.
Chen rebutted common criticism that the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP's) China policy has been inconsistent and a "closed-door" one. The DPP government has always maintained a strategic goal of normalization of cross-strait relations under the principles of goodwill reconciliation, active cooperation and permanent peace, he claimed.
Chen said advancing the Refugee Law will be the top priority in the new legislative session as there have been several cases in recent years of Chinese citizens trying to seek political asylum in Taiwan.
The government has tried to help them by reporting their cases to the United Nations Refugee Agency, he noted, although he added that Taiwan's requests and applications have all been rejected by the agency due to Taiwan's unique political status.
If Taiwan is determined to be a country that supports and protects human rights, the passage and implementation of the Refugee Law is necessary and a good first step, Chen added.