• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

PRESIDENTIAL AIDE CALLS FOR CROSS-STRAIT PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE

2004-05-17 21:45:49

    Taipei, May 17 (CNA) Deputy Secretary-General of the Presidential Office Joseph Wu called on both sides of the Taiwan Strait Monday to seek peaceful co-existence, claiming that peace is a cross-strait and international common language.

    Wu, who will serve as chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) in the new Cabinet to be sworn in May 20, made the remarks after the Chinese Communist Party's Taiwan Affairs Office and the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office issued a joint statement that outlines Beijing's new stance on cross-strait relations during the coming four years.

    The MAC chairman-designate declined to make any comments on the joint statement, which contains seven points regarding Beijing's policies toward Taiwan, but he said that the MAC, the highest agency in charge of charting Taiwan's policies toward the mainland, will study the statement carefully.

    Wu said that although he has been categorized as an "advocate of Taiwan independence, " he regards himself as a "pragmatist." He added that he will try hard to adapt to his new post and do his utmost to improve cross-strait relations.

    Saying that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait should resume bilateral talks with a view to seeking positive interactions and peaceful co-existence, Wu attributed the long-suspended cross-strait negotiations mainly to Beijing's reluctance to accept the fact that Taiwan is a sovereign and independent country.

    President Chen Shui-bian has broached the idea of forming a cross-strait peaceful development committee, while Beijing also reiterated in the joint statement its sincerity to seek peaceful development in cooperation with the people of Taiwan, Wu pointed out.

    This, he claimed, means that "peace is a cross-strait common language, " adding that seeking peace can be a starting point for the two sides of the Taiwan Strait to improve bilateral relations.

    For his part, Legislator Chiu Tai-san, who will serve as MAC vice chairman, exhorted the Taipei and Beijing authorities to set aside temporarily their disputes over the "one China" principle to facilitate resumption of the long-stalled cross-strait talks.

    Chiu proposed that both sides of the Taiwan Strait try to push for bilateral negotiations on economic and trade issues and other issues of mutual concern, such as the repatriation of stowaways from the mainland and wanted criminals.

(By Luis Huang)

ENDITEM/J