CECC Responds to Calls for Mini-three Links: Stop Being Selfish 小三通不開放中轉 王必勝:不能只考慮自己

Many are unhappy the Mini-three Links will not be open to the general public during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday. CECC Commander Victor Wang says people should not only think of themselves and need to think about local safety.

During the Lunar New Year holiday, residents of Kinmen and Matsu and spouses that are PRC nationals will be able to use the Mini-three Links. Many are protesting the government's decision not to allow everyone to use the links. The head of the Central Epidemic Command Center, Victor Wang, says people can't be selfish and only think about themselves.

Victor Wang, Commander, Central Epidemic Command Center: “When you transfer in Kinmen and Mazu, that's someone else's territory. You have to think about local safety considerations. You can't only think about yourself. We are all Taiwanese, whether you're a businessperson. Even Kinmen (residents) are Taiwanese. We have to think about others.”

Wang further said the government has discussed medical capacity with local hospitals and clinics. Wang also shot down calls from experts to send vaccines to China for ROC citizens so that they can get vaccinated before returning to Taiwan, saying vaccines don't have EUAs in China and China wouldn't allow the arrangement anyway. Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chiu Tai-san, meanwhile, said there were plans in place for chartered ferries for the Tomb Sweeping Festival and Dragon Boat Festival this year, but they had to be canceled due to China's lack of COVID transparency.

Chiu Tai-san, Mainland Affairs Council Minister: “There were always plans in place that we were beginning to work on for this Tomb Sweeping Festival and Dragon Boat Festival. There can be chartered ferries for this kind of holiday. Due to the lockdown in Shanghai and other lockdown-type situations in Zhengzhou and other places, everyone had extremely grave concerns. Our decision was actually the decision of local people.”

Chiu also said there are ways for Taiwanese businesspersons and students in China to return to Taiwan like flights, even if they are more expensive.

小三通春節專案，現階段開放對象只限於金門、馬祖民眾與陸配，並未開放台商中轉，引起爭議。指揮中心指揮官王必勝強調，要考量地方安全，不能只顧自己。

指揮中心指揮官王必勝表示：「中轉會經過金門、馬祖，那是人家的家園。你對經過的地方的安全要做考量，不是只有考慮到自己。我想我們都是台灣人，不管是台商，或者是金馬都是台灣人，我們要互相體諒。」

王必勝強調，醫療量能部分都有跟當地醫療院所溝通過。至於有學者建議，可以把疫苗送到中國讓當地國人施打，獲得保護力再返台，但王必勝說疫苗在中國有無EUA、中國會不會接受都是問題，內部討論過，難度很大。另外陸委會主委邱太三說，今（2022）年清明、端午本來都有規劃專案包船，但因為中國疫情當時不明，才會延到春節實施有限制的小三通專案。

陸委會主委邱太三指出：「本來就有開始在做規劃，這個清明跟端午節的這樣的節日的專案包船。後來因為上海整個封城，後來又因為他們的這個，包括鄭州，各地這樣的加碼，導致大家就有相當大的顧慮。我們的規劃完全都是徵求地方的民意，才做了這樣的一個決定。」

至於在中國的台商或台生要返台，邱太三說仍有管道，兩岸還是有固定航班往返，只是經濟負擔可能會稍微大一點。