Taipei, June 30 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian said on Friday that he has been consistent in seeking improved relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.
The president said that his basic tone remains unchanged from what he said in his inaugural speech on May 20, when he said that through building upon the existing foundation and constructing conditions for cooperation through goodwill, the leaders across the Taiwan Strait can jointly handle the problem of a future "one China."
Chen said his remarks on cross-strait relations have been consistent in spirit and content, whether on June 20, when he expressed hope that he could shake hands with mainland Chinese President Jiang Zemin and sit down to talk with him as did the two Korean leaders earlier in June, or on June 27, when he said that he accepted the consensus reached in cross-strait talks in 1992 on "one China, different interpretations."
Chen made his latest remarks as he received an 11-member delegation led by William Flynn, chairman of the National Committee on American Foreign Policy (NCAFP), a US think tank.
Chen noted that since 1997, the NCAFP has held round table meetings and has conducted study and research on issues related to cross-strait relations, which has contributed greatly to a stable and secure Asia-Pacific region.
Chen said that he was positive about the "track II" dialogue channel -- unofficial Taipei-Washington-Beijing dialogue channels to reduce cross-strait tensions -- adding that he welcomes any activities or proposals that help improve cross-strait relations and contribute to the regional peace and stability.
Dr. Donald Zagoria, a delegation member, lauded Chen's wisdom in dealing with cross-strait relations since his inauguration, but he also asked Chen to elaborate on his remarks on Tuesday regarding "one China, respectively interpretations."
Chen said that as a democratic and pluralistic society, Taiwan has various different views on the handling, interpretation and future direction of cross-strait relations, which is the reason why he asked Academia Sinica President Lee Yuan-tseh to head a supra-party ad hoc team to forge national consensus on the issue.
He said that the ultimate resolution of the cross-strait problem will have to be decided by the Taiwan people, and noted that US President Bill Clinton said that any solution should be acceptable to the Taiwan people following a mainland Chinese white paper in February warning Taiwan not to postpone unification talks indefinitely.
Chen said that the Taiwan people cannot accept that 'one China' means "the People's of Republic of China," and that they cannot identify with the idea that "Taiwan is a part of the PRC."
Saying that the Taiwan people insist on upholding the sovereignty, dignity and safety of the Republic of China, Chen said the true voice of the Taiwan people must be heard by the United States and the international community.
He said that the mainland has insisted on Taiwan accepting its "one China" principle, and that it believes both sides reached consensus on that principle in 1992, which he said is far from truth.
He said that if the Taiwan people were to accept such a principle, then the "principle would turn into a conclusion," and added that "we will not fall into such a framework or pitfall."
He said that if Taiwan were to become a part of the People's Republic of China, then the two sides would have no need for dialogue. As the president of a free and democratic ROC, Chen said he will follow the will of the people and safeguard the sovereignty and dignity of the nation.
The US delegation arrived in Taipei on Wednesday and was scheduled to leave on Saturday. During its stay in Taiwan, the delegation also met with Foreign Affairs Minister Tien Hung-mao, Mainland Affairs Council Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen, Premier Tang Fei and Taipei City Mayor Ma Ying-jeou.