Taipei, Jan. 16 (CNA) Vice President Annette Lu said Thursday that the Taiwan-U.S. relations still have room for improvement, although the present bilateral ties are more progressive than in the past.
Lu made the remark while receiving former U.S. House representatives Benjamin Gilman and Stephen J. Solarz.
Lu welcomed the visit by Gilman and Solarz and thanked them for their long-term support for the Republic of China and their efforts in helping Taiwan improve its human rights status.
Noting that four of the world's five communist countries are in Asia and that 15 of the 39 countries in Asia badly need democratization, Lu said that now is the time to integrate all democratic countries in the Asia-Pacific region and that the Democratic Pacific Union she founded is trying to do just that.
Lu welcomed Gilman and Solarz to come to Taiwan again in March to attend the preparatory meeting of the Union to push for democracy, peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.
She added that the restrictions on mutual visits by the two nations' officials need to be reviewed, while bilateral military cooperation has yet to be strengthened.