President Chen Shui-bian on July 25 met with a group of visiting elites from the Republican Party of the United States, exchanging opinions with them on cross-strait relations, interaction between the United States and Taiwan, and other topics of mutual interest.
President Chen thanked the United States for its long friendship to and support for Taiwan. In particular, during his term as president, the American government and Congress have paid close attention to security in the Taiwan Strait as well as the democratic development of Taiwan. The president said that the United States has sold Taiwan defensive weaponry according to the Taiwan Relations Act, for which the Taiwan people are grateful.
In discussing cross-strait topics, the president said that the 23 million people of Taiwan continue to embrace national sovereignty and are not willing to abandon this stance. As a result, it is unlikely that cross-strait political relations will improve in the near future. President Chen said China's current fundamental position towards Taiwan is that Taiwan is partof China. The people of Taiwan resolutely reject this standpoint. China wants Taiwan to surrender, he said, and to abandon its sovereignty, returning to China like Hong Kong and Macao, and operating as a local government or a special administrative region. This basic difference in opinion makes it quite difficult for the two sides to establish a new political relationship, the president noted.
President Chen indicated that Taiwan will hold a presidential election next year which will mark an important crossroads for its 23 million people. Taiwan's electorate will decide whether it will continue to follow the correct path of having the island pursue its own identity or take the path of surrendering and embracing China.
The president stressed that Taiwan should employ the most democratic process in determining its future. A public referendum should decide Taiwan's future as well as cross-strait relations. However, the United States, he noted, has a different opinion on this topic. The continued development of a smooth relationship between the United States and Taiwan will require a re-examination and re-thinking of such key issues.
The eight-member delegation of the American Republican Party elites, led by Mr. Michael Steele, met with President Chen at the Presidential Office. Also in attendance was Deputy Secretary-General to the President Chen Chi-mai.