Taiwan plans mainland policy committee

Taiwan's new government on Saturday announced it will set up a committee to formulate policy toward the mainland, a move it hopes will help avoid conflict with its communist neighbour.

The 25-member committee includes scholars, business leaders, professionals, four members from President Chen Shui-bian's Democratic Progressive Party, and two from the tiny New Party.

Lee Yuan-tseh, a Nobel laureate who heads the committee, said it will be an advisory body to help the government forge public consensus toward the mainland.

''President Chen wants the committee to help ease tension with the mainland, fearing any misjudgment could accidentally lead us to the brink of war,'' said Mr Lee, president of the research center Academia Sinica.

''People on both sides of the [Taiwan] Strait share the same history and culture, and there is no reason for hostilities to continue to erode our kinship,'' Mr Lee said.

But Mr Lee also regretted the boycott from the two largest opposition parties, saying the all-important task of easing tensions with Beijing should not become another ground for political wrestling.

Officials of the Nationalist Party and People First Party said they would not join the committee because it overlaps the work of the existing Council for National Reunification.

Mr Chen, a former supporter of formal independence, has taken a conciliatory stance since taking office in May.

He has vowed not to declare independence and also sidelined the controversial declaration made by ex-President Mr Lee Teng-hui that Taiwan and the mainland have ''special state-to-state relations.''