China bars IT professionals from going to Taiwan trade show

TAIPEI (AFP) Jun 01, 2004
China has rejected applications by some mainland IT professionals to participate in the Taipei Computex trade show, in another sign of simmering tensions across the Taiwan Straits, officials said Tuesday.

Mainland Chinese professionals, invited by the trade show's organizers and exhibitors, had failed to obtain permits from Beijing to visit Taiwan, said an official with the Taipei Computer Association (TCA).

"The association earlier invited some 40 top executives of major China IT firms to visit the Computex show but their applications for such a visit were rejected by China," the official told financial wire service AFX-Asia.

At the opening ceremony of the five-day trade show, Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou said: "We have to pay more attention to it as it might have an impact on the economic and trade activities between Taiwan and China in the future".

Ma, also vice chairman of opposition party Kuomintang, did not elaborate further on the subject.

The Computex trade show on information technology and communications devices has attracted a record 1,347 exhibitors this year, up from 8.5 percent in 2003, organizers Taiwan External Trade Development Council and TCA said.

It is expected to attract 25,000 international buyers this year against 22,250 last year.

The show, targeted at global IT procurement professionals, is the world's second-largest computer trade show after Germany's CeBIT.

On Monday China's People's Daily criticized Taiwan's Chi Mei group leader Shi Wen-long for his "pro-independence" views. Shi is a senior adviser to President Chen Shui-bian, who is seen by Beijing as a dangerous advocate of independence for the island.

Since Chen's re-election, China has reiterated it does not welcome business people who invest in the mainland but advocate Taiwan independence.

China kept up its strident rhetoric against Taiwan at the start of a new four-year term for Chen.

Tensions have flared up between Taipei and Beijing after Chen, leader from the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party, took the helm of the island in 2000.

China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory despite their split 55 years ago at the end of a civil war, has said it would invade if the island declared independence or descended into chaos.

SPACE.WIRE