President Lee Teng-hui stressed today: "The Republic of China's mainland policy to promote constructive dialogue and favorable exchanges has remained unchanged." He made the remarks when meeting with Mr. Richard Bush, Chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan.
President Lee indicated that his remarks about "special state-to-state relationship" the other day was merely "to voice, in his capacity as head of state, the opinion of the majority of the ROC people, representing a democratic country's respect for public opinion."
Accompanied by Ding Mou-shih, Senior Advisor to the President, President Lee met with Mr. Bush at the Presidential Office this afternoon. Yin Tsung-wen, Secretary-General of the National Security Council, Foreign Minister Jason Hu, Su Chi, Chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council, Lin Bih-jaw, Deputy Secretary-General to the President, and Acting Director Stephen Young of the AIT Taipei Office were also present.
During the meeting, the President first expressed his sincere appreciation for President Clinton's remarks yesterday conveying the firm position of the United States to maintain peace in the Taiwan Strait. He also thanked President Clinton for sending Mr. Bush here to exchange views with respective ROC government agencies on the development of cross-strait relations.
He maintained that this preventive diplomacy taken by President Clinton to safeguard security in the Asia-Pacific region would contribute to stability in this part of the world.
During the talks, President Lee also called on the Beijing authorities to calm down and pore over what he has said about cross-strait relations, saying that they will find his remarks positive toward future development of cross-strait relations.
Mr. Bush said that after talking with Foreign Minister Hu and other senior ROC officials, and especially with President Lee and Vice President Lien, he now has a better understanding of the true meaning of President Lee's remarks.
The visiting AIT Chairman also expressed the US government's hope that the two sides of the Strait can restore their mutual trust and on this foundation, will interact in a favorable way.