Dear Mr. Vice President Al Gore,

　　 Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton,

According to the killing of opposition Democratic Progressive Party Lin Ti-chuan, Lin was kidnapped and killed by mainlander at July 31, 1998. (Appendix)

Up to 184 cases involving threats to Taiwan businessmen on mainland China have been reported, since1991, according to Straits Exchange Foundation, with deaths resulting in 30 cases. Beijing should resume talk with Taiwan as soon as possible to discuss signing a bilateral investment agreement to lay a frame work for protecting the interests of Taiwan investors.

With such an agreement, Taiwan investors lack an umbrella to protect their legitimate rights. Taiwan entrepreneurs have poured more than US$ 20 billion into the mainland since the late 1980s. With Southeast Asia hit by financial crisis, many Taiwan companies have switched their investments to mainland China over the past year. Most disputes are resolved through personal connections.

The practice, however, is regarded by many Taiwan people as brutal and insensive, and intended to destroy evidence of possible crimes.

Beijing and Taipei, as the institutionalized channel for communications across the strait should help each other handle matters involving people's rights and interests.

The lack of a system for handling cross-strait accidents has also obstructed the governments effort to help managing the aftermath.

Beijing showing little interest in the so-called "technical" issues, is pressuring Taipei to start cross-strait political negotiations as precondition for restoring technical negotiations.

Regardless of any great political reasons mainland China has, Beijing must not keep ignoring the many cases-that have taken place due to civil day-to-day contacts over the past 10-odds years.

The situation indicates the necessity for urgent cross-strait negotiations on "low-political" issues that closely concern people's interests.

It is our hope that United States can urge Beijing to negotiate an investment guarantee pact for Taiwan business people and setting up of a system for handling cross-strait travel accidents.

"Political issues" are always Beijing's first, "technical issues" aren't important.

Taiwan people have no confidence in Beijing's authority, there is a long history of business dispute-related kidnappings of overseas Chinese on the mainland.