Hopes high that ECCPC inaugural meeting will be held within a few months

As Hong Kong's bilateral ties with Taiwan enter a new era with the establishment of reciprocal semi-official bodies in Taiwan and Hong Kong, hopes are being expressed that the Hong Kong-Taiwan Economic and Cultural Co-operation and Promotion Council (ECCPC) will hold an inaugural meeting within a few months. Financial Secretary John Tsang, the third highest-ranking official in the Hong Kong SAR government, heads the new Hong Kong body.

The new group is awaiting incorporation as a limited company in the meantime.

Experts on Taiwan affairs say employment of semi-official organizations to establish closer ties creates greater flexibility for negotiations. Establishment of the high-profile ECCPC was announced by the government Wednesday. The Financial Secretary will serve as honorary chairperson, with Executive Councillor Charles Lee as chairman. A number of senior government officials will hold vice chairmanships or directors' positions.

Speaking at a press conference, Tsang said the Taiwan-Hong Kong Economic and Cultural Co-operation Council (ECCC), the ECCPC's counterpart in Taiwan under the Mainland Affairs Council, will be established very soon.

With this new platform for communication, Hong Kong and Taiwan can handle more diverse and multi-level issues of mutual interest.

"The new platform enables our officials to enhance cooperation with Taiwan in such areas as economics and trade, shipping, aviation, financial services, tourism, culture, sports and healthcare," he said. "In particular, we can discuss specific issues such as avoidance of double taxation, trade facilitation measures and negotiations on aviation matters."

Tsang hoped the new platform would lift high-level communication between Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Taiwan affairs commentator Zheng Hanliang said the new platform is modeled on the semi-official mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Straits and the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation.

The advantage of the format is that it is less politicized yet more flexible in its operation, he suggested.

Zheng also said Hong Kong-Taiwan ties are beginning to flourish after Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou came to power.

Fellow commentator Johnny Lau said that Hong Kong had been rather passive in Taiwan affairs in the past. The new framework with Taiwan comes a bit late, he noted, as many mainland cities such as Shanghai has already inked cooperation frameworks with Taiwan.

James Tien, chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, said the ECCPC would help Hong Kong businessmen invest in tourism projects such as construction of hotels, and increase the number of flights between the two places.

(HK Edition 04/01/2010 page1)