Taipei, March 19 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian reaffirmed his commitment Monday to adopting a new "middle-of-the-road" policy in dealing with relations across the Taiwan Strait.
Chen made the remarks while meeting with U.S. delegates to the "2001 Taipei Roundtable" on new challenges in the Asia-Pacific region, scheduled to open in Taipei Tuesday.
In view of deep domestic division over Taiwan's future status and the development of cross-strait relations, Chen told his guests that a new "middle-of-the-road" approach is what Taiwan must toe.
"As the president of the Republic of China, I must defend national sovereignty, dignity and security in accordance with the constitution," Chen said, adding that he must always remain calm and composed.
Noting that he takes it as his sacred duties to maintain peace, security and stability in the Taiwan Strait, Chen said he would never take any rash and reckless moves to provoke mainland China.
Since he won the presidential election last March, Chen said he has vowed to adopt a soft, subtle approach in handling cross-strait relations. "While insisting on our ideals and tenet, we are willing to face up to the reality in a realistic manner and make compromises without sacrificing our fundamental principles.
Nevertheless, Chen admitted that as pro-independence and pro-unification groups resist any compromise on their stances, he has faced enormous difficulties forging a national consensus on the development of cross-strait relations.
Chen further told American delegates that people of different political stripes marched in downtown Taipei Sunday to mark the first anniversary of his electoral victory.
"The activities indicated that Taiwan is now a democratic, pluralistic society. No matter whether you like or dislike, agree or disagree, you must recognize the existence of different political views and opinions," Chen explained.
Despite the presence of different ideologies in Taiwan, Chen assured the American delegates that the ROC's new Asia-Pacific strategy will consistently be based on its ideals of pursuing peace, security and balance. "Taiwan will continue dedicating itself to playing the role of 'maintaining peace, security and balance' in the Asia-Pacific region," Chen pledged.
After exchanging views with American scholars on the general Asia-Pacific situation and possible development trends, Chen said he understands that the coming year will be a critical period for the development of delicate triangular Taipei-Washington-Beijing relations.
Chen said although the Asia-Pacific region is full of uncertainties, Taiwan will regard all new challenges as new opportunities and gear up to cope with them. Touching on cross-strait relations, Chen said mainland China holds the key to breaking the current stalemate.
"If Beijing is unwilling to resume dialogue with us, our numerous goodwill gestures would be to no avail," Chen said, adding that mainland China's employment of "united front" tactics to team up with Taiwan's opposition forces to sow seeds of discord in local society and weaken his administration's power base would only hinder cross-strait approchement.
Chen also expressed the ROC's major concern whether the new U.S. Republican administration would change or adjust its Asia-Pacific policy or maintain the status quo. Chen said Taiwan is concerned whether the Bush administration will truly change Washington-Beijing ties from constructive, strategic partnership to competitive relationship.
"We are even more concerned about when the two sides of the Taiwan Strait will be admitted to the World Trade Organization (WTO)," Chen said, adding that Taiwan wants to know whether it can become a WTO member this year.
"We also hope to know mainland China's major worries about its terms for WTO entry as well as the U.S. views on the issues regarding Taipei's and Beijing's WTO seats," he added.
The 2001 Taipei Roundtable is co-sponsored by Taipei's Chinatrust Commercial Bank and the influential U.S. think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). The annual meeting provides a forum for CSIS experts to meet ROC officials, business leaders and academics to discuss U.S.-mainland China relations, U.S. policy toward Asia and global economic and political issues.
The CSIS delegation is led by senior adviser Richard Fairbanks, an ambassador-at-large during the Reagan administration.