Taipei, July 6 (CNA) Republic of China President Chen Shui-bian said on Thursday that Taipei is waiting for a goodwill response from Beijing on a resumption of the cross-Taiwan Strait dialogue that has been at a standstill for one year.
He noted that while the ROC government has completed preparations for talks with Beijing on a variety of topics, including political issues and proposed direct trade, transportation and postal links, Beijing has failed to offer any goodwill response. Chen expressed regret over Beijing's attitude, but added that Taipei will continue to wait Beijing's response with patience.
The president made the remarks while receiving US House Representative Mark Souder at the Presidential Office.
Chen noted that US President Bill Clinton has said that cross-strait problems should be resolved through peaceful dialogue and with the consent of the people of Taiwan. He told the congressman from Indiana that the two sides have established an effective mechanism for negotiations through Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) and Beijing's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS), but added that Beijing seems to have the intention of establishing a new negotiation track by shelving the existing mechanism. "This is not a correct step," he pointed out.
Since winning the March 18 presidential election earlier this year, Chen has repeatedly indicated the new government's goodwill with regard to resuming talks with Beijing, but Beijing has yet to give a positive response.
During the reception, Chen extended his appreciation to Souder for his persistent support for the ROC within and outside the US Congress. He said that the United States can play a more positive and constructive role in the promotion of security and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as in the maintenance of peace across the Taiwan Strait.
He also expressed his hope that the United States and the ROC will step up bilateral cooperation to contribute more to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region based on the existing solid foundation.
Souder for his part praised the ROC for its efforts and accomplishments in the pursuit of democratization, describing them as a good model for the Asia-Pacific region. He added that cross-strait problems must be resolved through peaceful means so as to maintain peace and stability across the strait and in the Asia-Pacific region.