Yunlin, Kinmen magistrates apply to attend Straits Forum in China: MAC

Taipei, June 6 (CNA) The magistrates of Yunlin and Kinmen counties have applied to attend the 16th Straits Forum in China, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said Thursday, urging them to comply with Taiwan's regulations on cross-strait exchanges.

Taiwan's government prohibits personnel from government ministries and their affiliated units from attending the Straits Forum, which will be held in China's Xiamen city on June 15, said Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑), deputy head and spokesperson of the MAC, Taiwan's top government agency handling cross-strait affairs, at Thursday's press conference.

However, he said that the MAC has received applications from the two local government officials -- Yunlin County Magistrate Chang Li-shan (張麗善) and Kinmen County Magistrate Chen Fu-hai (陳福海) -- seeking to attend the forum.

Chang and Chen are from the opposition Kuomintang and Taiwan People's Party, respectively.

Regarding their applications, Liang said that "we are not happy to see it, but the central government will not obstruct it." From the central government's perspective, it is not favorable to see personnel from the local governments joining such a forum, he added.

On Thursday evening, Chang told CNA that the tense cross-strait relations in recent years have affected many industries in Taiwan, and that she hoped to promote dialogue and exchanges between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait by participating in the forum.

The Yunlin County government said that Chang has reported to the central government according to regulations and received approval, and she will take leave from June 14 for the two-day trip, during which she will comply with the Cross-Strait Act and related regulations.

According to the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (Cross-Strait Act), county magistrates or city mayors "shall apply for permission to enter into the Mainland Area," with their applications to be reviewed and approved by a committee formed by various ministries and agencies, including the MAC.

Liang said that the government's stance on the forum remains consistent, seeing it as "a platform for united front work by the Chinese Communist Party," and prohibiting any agencies, individuals, groups, and political parties from joining any form of activities related to the so-called "One Country, Two Systems Solution for Taiwan" or "Democratic Consultation."

For those who will attend the forum, Liang urged them to comply with the Cross-Strait Act and related regulations and said they must not engage in illegal cooperation, or form alliances with the Chinese authorities.

The Straits Forum, an annual conference between China and Taiwan, started in 2009.

Last year's forum was organized by China's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) and the government of Fujian province, in collaboration with 82 cross-strait organizations, according to a press release by the TAO last June.

This year's forum will be held on June 15 in Xiamen, Fujian province, with the theme "Expanding Civil Exchanges, Deepening Integrated Development," according to the organizing committee of the 16th Straits Forum, which has said that the event will include four major activities focusing on grassroots, youth, cultural, and economic exchanges.

Meanwhile, Liang mentioned in the press conference that a member of a Taiwanese tour group traveling to China was recently detained for investigation for several days before being released, marking the first incident of a Taiwanese tour group member to China being detained.

The tour group was on a five-day tour and one of the group members was taken away by the Chinese authorities midway through the trip and was not released until several days after the group returned to Taiwan, Liang said, adding that the details and reasons for the detention are still under investigation.

Liang noted that due to the state security law and counter-espionage law in China, the number of Taiwanese being detained and investigated upon entry has increased recently, reminding Taiwanese that such incidents may not only occur during individual travel but can also happen even when they join a tour group.