The "three direct links" across the Taiwan Strait must be treated as a domestic issue and direct transportation routes must be treated as internal routes, a Chinese mainland spokesman said here wednesday. 

Li Weiyi, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the statement in response to remarks in Taiwan that listing the "three direct links" as an internal affair was tantamount to setting preconditions and barriers. 

The "three direct links" refer to direct exchanges of mail, trade, air and shipping services across the Taiwan Strait. The twosides have been estranged since the civil war in the late 1940s. 

"It is an indisputable fact that there is only one China and the mainland and Taiwan belong to one China. For a long time, there were no arguments about this on both sides of the Taiwan Strait," said Li. 

"So long as the 'three direct links' are viewed as an internal affair, in concrete talks the specific meaning of 'One China' may be left untouched," he said. 

He explained that classing cross-Strait transportation routes as internal routes would guarantee the rights and interests of industry, commerce and shipping on both sides of the Strait. 

"According to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, a country can retain the rights and interests of coastal transportation, fishing and commerce for its own businesses. Therefore making the "three direct links" domestic would prevent foreign companies from occupying the market and fully guarantee the rights and interests of compatriots and businesses on both sides of the Strait," Li said. 

He stressed that the stand of the mainland on the issue was very clear. "So long as the 'three direct links' are treated as a domestic affair, the matter could be negotiated immediately at non-governmental level and then be approved. This is a concrete proof of our sincerity and there is no bargaining about this stand," he said. Enditem

Xinhuanet 2002-06-26