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CHINA WILL HAVE TO TALK WITH TAIWAN'S ELECTED LEADERS: U.S. OFFICIAL

ROC Central News Agency

2005-04-20 14:47:27

    Washington, April 19 (CNA) Chinese leaders will ultimately have to talk with popularly elected leaders in Taiwan if they want their engagements with Taiwan's opposition figures to be productive, a U.S. State Department official said Tuesday.

    Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Randall G. Schriver, who will leave his job at the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs next month, made the remarks while meeting with Taiwan journalists posted in Washington, D.C.

    Commenting on reports about Beijing's invitations to Taiwan's two opposition heavyweights -- Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan and People First Party Chairman James Soong -- to visit China, Schriver said dialogue is better than no dialogue at all. "As we've said on the record before, our view is that on the margins, dialogue is better than no dialogue at all, and we think talking is better than not talking," Schriver pointed out.

    Nevertheless, Schriver added that ultimately how these trips will be viewed will depend on a number of variables. "Will this diplomacy be a mechanism for moving forward? Subsequently, will it contribute eventually to dialogue broader across the political spectrum in Taiwan? Or will it be limited to just reaching out to the opposition in the tensely divisive mood internally in Taiwan's domestic politics? We just don't know yet, " Schriver said. "So we are watching this carefully. And genuinely, on the margins, we think, dialogue is better than no dialogue. And we'll see how this plays in Taiwan," he added..

    Ultimately, Schriver continued, "for this to be productive for all parties, the leaders in Beijing will ultimately have to talk to elected leaders in Taiwan and the government that's in power."

    As to the controversy surrounding KMT Vice Chairman P.K. Chiang's recent visit to China, Schriver said he would not comment on Taiwan's internal politics and legal matters.

(By Oliver Lin and Sofia Wu)

enditem/Li