Editorials

Warmer Straits

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-09-17 07:42

The first joint maritime rescue drill between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan on Wednesday came as another move to build trust and push cross-Straits ties to a deeper and more comprehensive level.

As the first of its kind, the cross-Straits search and rescue exercise in waters off the Taiwan island of Kinmen and the mainland port of Xiamen in Fujian province was aimed at enhancing the readiness of rescue personnel and helping civilian boats in need. The move is in line with the growing need to ensure maritime transport safety since the two sides of the Straits established direct sea links in December 2008.

Statistics suggest that more than 118,000 passengers and 2.53 million TEU units of shipping cargo had been transported through the direct sea links across the Straits by June. Meanwhile, the number of ship passengers between Kinmen and Xiamen reached 1.28 million in 2009 and is forecast to rise to 1.4 million this year.

In fact, the Fujian maritime search and rescue center launched 123 rescue missions in the Straits to save 1,219 passengers in 2009 alone. All these highlight the urgency of setting up a cross- Straits joint search and rescue mechanism to guarantee the safety of personnel, property and the environment in sea transport.

The joint maritime search and rescue drill, which was agreed upon in earlier talks between chief negotiators of both sides, is a new milestone for cross-Straits humanitarian rescue cooperation as well as for building up political mutual trust.

Like any other goodwill gesture taken by both sides of the Straits since Ma Ying-jeou of the Kuomintang won leadership of the island from the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in 2008, the joint drill will be planting seeds of hope for a lasting peace across the Straits.

Cross-Straits ties have improved markedly since 2008. Both sides have opened direct air, shipping and postal links, as well as allowed mainland tourists to visit the island. They have also signed the landmark Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, which became effective on Sunday.

The positive changes in bilateral ties, in stark contrast with the frequent tension that sometimes even hit crisis levels under the DPP's rule, have demonstrated the significance of seeking a common ground and mutual trust between the two sides.

But the fast-growing economic relations across the Straits have still outshined the lack of progress in establishing a sound mechanism for political trust between Beijing and Taipei. Due to decades of isolation and hostility, both sides need to accumulate mutual trust through every small and reconciliatory step.

Without trust and respect for each other, the two sides of the Straits will find it impossible to address the more critical issues of officially ending the state of hostility and establishing a mechanism for military mutual trust between Beijing and Taipei.

The joint search and rescue exercise, which involves paramilitary departments from both sides, contributes to closer cross-Straits ties by inaugurating bilateral cooperation in nontraditional security areas.

We hope the drill, which has been well designed to shun politically sensitive issues, can help both sides of the Straits to draw on experience and lay a solid foundation to expand mutual trust.

(China Daily 09/17/2010 page8)