TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Two former legislators will organize and lead a protest in Taipei on Dec. 24 to demand the government resume the mini-three links, which were suspended due to the pandemic, before the Lunar New Year.
The mini-three links refer to direct trade, postal and transport services launched more than two decades ago between Kinmen and Matsu in Taiwan, and Xiamen, Mawei, and Quanzhou in China's Fujian Province.
Chen Chin-pao (陳清寶), a former Kinmen lawmaker, told media on Tuesday (Dec. 6) that he and former legislator Tsao Erh-chang (曹爾忠) wholeheartedly promoted the mini-three links bill when they were in office, UDN reported. They persuaded the administrative agencies, including the Mainland Affairs Council, to finally sign the mini-three links into law. Therefore, he and Tsao are the most qualified to express opinions on the issue, he said.
Chen said that the sluggish relations between Taipei and China make it imperative to restore the mini-three links as soon as possible. It is hoped that the Cabinet will properly reflect public opinion and agree to restore the links soon. Otherwise, people will have to take to the streets, he added.
Our appeal is to resume transport services, Chen said, adding that the mini-three links had made great contributions to cross-strait exchanges and the economies of Kinmen and Matsu. It is a pity that the links have been suspended since the breakout of the epidemic, he said.
Now that the epidemic has eased and Taiwan has relaxed its border controls, it is high time to resume the links, he went on to say.
Chen said he couldn’t figure out why the mini-three links are still “blocked.” He added that Taiwan unilaterally suspended the links, and now with China's customs and staff eagerly standing by, it does not make sense for the Cabinet to continue blocking the links.
It is hoped that through the protest, people's voices can be heard, and the mini-three links can be restored soon, he said, per UDN.