HONG KONG: In his wide-ranging policy address, Chief Executive Donald Tsang touched on cooperation between Hong Kong and Taiwan.

On enhancing Hong Kong-Taiwan exchanges, Tsang reiterated his wish to visit Taiwan in his official capacity on the right occasion and at the right time.

"Our contacts with Taiwan are beyond trade," he said. "We hope to continue our exchanges on cultural, social and city planning issues."

"We will establish a Hong Kong-Taiwan Economic and Cultural Cooperation and Promotion Council to promote multi-faceted, multi-level exchanges with Taiwan. We will consider setting up a multi-functional office in Taiwan at an appropriate time and in an appropriate format to have high-level exchanges between the two places," he told lawmakers.

Tsang further said the Hong Kong government would endeavor to address some other specific and important issues.

"For example, we will discuss cancellation of double taxation arrangements, as well as discuss shipping rights," he disclosed.

In addition, Hong Kong will play an active role in providing cross-Straits RMB clearing services and strive to enable Hong Kong travel agents to operate mainland tours to Taiwan, as well as multi-destination air and cruise packages.

On electoral methods for the Chief Executive and Legislative Council elections in 2012, he said the National People's Congress Standing Committee has already decided that the 2017 Chief Executive election and the 2020 Legislative Council can take the form of universal suffrage.

With regard to electoral arrangements in 2012, the government will publish a consultation paper with options to solicit public opinions in November. "We will improve the electoral methods by increasing the democratic elements," he told the press conference.

He stressed that the consultation paper will not include electoral methods beyond 2017 and 2020.

"I have successfully asked the central government to provide a universal suffrage timetable," he said, in response to the dissenting voices of the pan-democrats in 2005 who complained the electoral packages did not contain a timetable.

Commenting on the policy address, Susie Chiang, a Hong Kong-based Taiwanese and chairperson of CS Culture Foundation, was very pleased with the Hong Kong government's intention to set up a cooperative framework in the two places as well as to consider the plan to open an official office in Taiwan.

In her opinion, as bilateral ties between the two places are getting more frequent, deeper cooperation is needed at all levels.

(HK Edition 10/15/2009 page1)