Hong Kong, March 19 (CNA) Republic of China President-elect Chen Shui-bian has promised to take the initiative to ease tension across the Taiwan Strait.
Chen, a stalwart of Taiwan's main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), made the pledge in an interview with Time Magazine shortly after he won Saturday's presidential vote.
Chen said his victory indicates that Taiwan voters have ushered in a new era with their ballots. "This marks an end to the Kuomintang's 54-year grip on power. This will be the first alteration of the ruling party in Taiwan. This is really a historic moment. We'll complete the first peaceful transfer of power in Taiwan."
Chen said he hopes to meet with outgoing President Lee Teng-hui as soon as possible. "Lee has contributed much to Taiwan's democratization. I hope to exchange views with him on a host of domestic and international affairs," he added.
Asked how he will assure the people of Taiwan and the international community that he will not provoke a war in the Taiwan Strait, Chen said he will form a supra-party task force to forge consensus on cross-strait issues.
Chen said he will pool wisdom of experts and politicians of different political stripes to handle difficult cross-strait issues, boost rapprochement and ease tension with Beijing.
Chen said although he is proud of being a DPP member, he will always put national interests above personal and party interests.
Chen further said he plans to visit the United States, Japan, Singapore and other countries to exchange views with their political figures concerning regional security issues, adding that he also hopes to make a "journey of goodwill" to mainland China before his inauguration on May 20.
Chen said he will invite Taiwan's lone Nobel laureate Lee Yuan-tseh to lead an advisory group to assist him in handling thorny cross-strait problems. (By Chou Chia-hung and Sofia Wu)
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