President Chen Shui-bian met with Raymond F. Burghardt, Chairman of the Board of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), on June 8 at the Office of the President. In the meeting, the president told Burghardt that his promises to President George Bush and the United States have never been changed since his first inauguration in 2000, and will not be altered either in the next two years.
The president said to Burghardt that Taiwan's constitutional reform will touch upon neither the sovereignty issue nor the alteration of national territory and title due to the current social conditions and tense political atmosphere.
As regards the recent delegation of power to the Executive Yuan, the president said to Burghardt that it was decided in accordance with the constitutional order, and the power of the president nonetheless remained unchanged.
Burghardt served as the AIT Taipei Office director from 1999-2001, and was appointed AIT Board Chairman in 2002. He witnessed Taiwan's first peaceful transfer of powers marked by President Chen's victory in the election of 2000.
AIT Board Chairman Burghardt's visit to the Office of the President was accompanied by AIT Taipei Office Director Stephen Young and Taiwan's Foreign Minister James Huang. Secretary-General to the President Mark Chen was also present at the meeting.