Taipei, Jan. 10 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian, who took office in the Republic of China's first democratic transfer of power between different political parties in May 2000, said Wednesday that the Republic of China is striving to become a true democracy, with the concerted effort of the government and the people.
Chen made the remarks when he met with a group of Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives at the Presidential Office.
Chen expressed his appreciation for the House of Representatives' support of the Taiwan Security Enhancement Act (TSEA), authored by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jesse Helms and aimed at strengthening Taiwan's defensive capabilities.
He said a stable Taiwan Strait is not only in line with Taiwan's interests, but also key to U.S. interests in the Pacific, adding that he expects that Taiwan and the United States will closely cooperate to jointly secure peace in the Asia-Pacific region.
He said he hopes that U.S.-Taiwan relations will continue to progress on track after the new U.S. administration takes office on Jan. 20. He urged the incoming Bush administration to review the current U.S. policy on exchanges of visits by ministerial-level officials between the two countries, so as to further bolster bilateral ties.
On cross-strait relations, Chen told his guests, who include delegation head Eva Clayton (D-NC) and Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.), that since his inauguration on May 20, 2000, he has strenuously worked to normalize relations with mainland China, trying to defuse tension and redress conflicts across the strait.
"In my New Year message, I stressed that according to the ROC Constitution, the 'one China' concept is not a problem. And I urged the Beijing authorities to heed the anxiety of the Taiwan people toward the 'one China' issue, which has been a core source of cross-strait political deadlock," Chen said.
"In the face of new economic situations, including Taiwan and mainland China's expected accession into the World Trade Organization, the ROC government is taking an open and active attitude toward economic and trade relations across the Taiwan Strait, and is working to readjust policies on direct trade, post and transportation links between the two sides," he continued.
Noting that this is an era of dialogue and reconciliation, Chen urged authorities in Beijing to return to the negotiating table with their Taiwan counterparts for talks to secure security and peace for both sides and in the region.
Other members of the House delegation included Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-Michigan), Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Julia Carson (D-Indiana), and Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-Ohio).