On December 15th, President Chen Shui-bian met with a delegation from the Brookings Institution, a Washington D.C.-based think tank, and expressed welcome to them. Members of the visiting group included Carlos Pascual, vice president of the institution, Richard Bush, director of the Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies, and Jing Huang, senior fellow with the John L. Thornton China Center.
In the reception, President Chen praised his guests as outstanding observers who are well-versed and experienced in their particular areas, and expressed his hope to listen to their opinions on such issues as international situation, cross-strait relations, and local political development.
Vice President Pascual first thanked President Chen for receiving them. He stated that the situation in Asia concerns the peace and development in the rest of the world, in which Taiwan plays an important role. In this light, he expressed his hope that through this visit members of the delegation can gain a deeper understanding of Taiwan's perspectives and how it defines its role in the world.
Speaking of North Korea's nuclear issue which has caused concern over the security in East Asia, Director Bush stressed that only through the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula can the stability in the region be achieved, and only through the cooperation among peace-loving countries, including Taiwan, can the stability on the Korean Peninsula be obtained.
Senior Fellow Jing Huang said that Taiwan's democracy is mature and its citizens are rational. As Taiwan plays a crucial role in both regional and global peace and stability, he expressed his hope that Taiwan can continue to reach out and make active contributions to the world.
In response to the guests' opinions, President Chen said that as part of the Asian-Pacific democratic community, Taiwan is very concerned about the safety, peace, and stability in northeast Asia. He said he hopes that the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula can be realized through peaceful dialogue and the Six-Party Talks in Beijing will be resumed soon as scheduled and produce good results.
With regard to the cross-strait issue, President Chen said that the interaction and exchanges between the two sides are in their best shape in decades. He thanked the US, Japan, and other democracies for their concern over the cross-strait issue and their contributions to promoting peace, security and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.