Taipei, April 23 (CNA) Republic of China President Chen Shui-bian told a visiting U.S. think tank expert Monday that he hopes to meet the institute's senior fellows for wide-ranging discussions during his U.S. transit stop in May en route to Latin America.
Chen told Christopher DeMuth, president of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), that he would like to exchange opinions with AEI scholars on such issues as future Taipei-Washington relations and the current situation in the Taiwan Strait during his brief stopover.
Chen said that he has visited the think tank on many occasions in the past and he praised AEI for its long-term concern for and contributions to the security of the Asia Pacific region.
The president also expressed respect for AEI Senior Vice President John R. Bolton--who has been nominated to serve as the new U.S. undersecretary of state for arms control, non-proliferation and international security in the Bush administration—for his staunch vocal support of the Republic of China.
DeMuth pointed out that many other officials in the current U.S. administration, including U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, once worked for the influential think tank. He went on to say that these officials are all friends of the Republic of China and that he is certain that bilateral relations will undergo substantial improvements in the future.
Responding to DeMuth's suggestion that Taiwan should strengthen its financial reform initiatives, Chen admitted that Taiwan does indeed have many long-standing financial problems, the seriousness of which were "covered up" in the past.
Therefore, he continued, his government has given financial reform a top priority and is pushing for the completion of related legal measures during the first half of the year.