Taipei, Oct. 19 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian held a long-awaited meeting Thursday evening with James Soong, chairman of the opposition People's First Party. Their meeting lasted for 90 minutes.
A joint statement issued after the meeting said the meeting was conducted in a good atmosphere and was helpful for the stabilization of the political situation. The statement said the two men exchanged views on issues concerning the Constitution, ties with Beijing, financial problems and the reconstruction of the island's earthquake-ravaged areas.
Before the meeting, Chen said it was a little step for he and Soong, but a big step on the path toward reconciliation and cooperation among the island's political parties.
In the pre-meeting statement, Chen said he would invite the PFP to join a cross-party panel to work out a united front to present to mainland China.
He regarded the cross-party panel chaired by Academia Sinica President Lee Yuan-tseh as an organization that can sort out the differences between the government and the opposition on policy toward Beijing, including the controversial direct postal, trade and transport links.
He said he would like to exchange views with opposition leaders regularly on issues concerning national interest. Chen sought the PFP's support for the government's economic policy, its crusade against organized crime and corruption, and the reconstruction of earthquake-ravaged Central Taiwan. He vowed to listen carefully to Soong's opinions during their meeting.