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DPP NOT RULING OUT POSSIBILITY OF CONTACTS WITH CHINA: PARTY HEAD

ROC Central News Agency

2006-03-06 14:04:05

    Taipei, March 6 (CNA) Ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Yu Shyi-kun said Monday that the party will not rule out the possibility of contacts with China in any way so long as they are based on equality, the nation's interests and cross-strait peace.

    Yu made the remarks to reporters during a visit to Chairman Su Chin-chiang of the Taiwan Solidarity Union, an ally of the DPP, to seek the TSU's participation in a march sponsored by the DPP with the theme of "safeguarding democracy in the face of China's attempts to absorb Taiwan."

    Yu was responding to media reports which quoted Jia Qinglin, chairman of the Beijing-based Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), as having said Saturday that CPPCC members should take advantage of various favorable conditions to make extensive contacts with the Taiwan people, including diehard or headstrong "pan-greens." "Pan-greens" usually refers to politicians from the DPP or the TSU, who insist on Taiwan's separate identity from that of China, resist China's sovereignty claim over Taiwan, oppose any overtures for unification with China and desire to change Taiwan's national title. Up until now, Beijing authorities have refused to have any dialogue or engagement with the DPP administration due to its pro-independence policy line.

    Yu said the DPP will not rule out the possibility of any contacts, exchanges or dialogue with China, but the party believes that the basic point is government-to-government consultation and that China should engage in dialogue with the duly elected leadership in Taiwan.

    Su, for his part, said that the TSU's stance is "one country on each side of the Taiwan Strait" and that there is no room for compromise on this point.

    He expressed the hope that whether in drafting a new constitution or changing the formal name of the nation from the Republic of China to Taiwan, the government can "do more, but speak less."

    Su said that the March 18 rally will be a follow-up to a large protest rally on March 26, 2005 in the wake of China's enactment of the Anti-Session Law, which codifies the use of "non-peaceful means" against Taiwan should the island move toward formal independence. The TSU will work with the DPP in the rally, he promised.

    Yu said the party will invite ranking officials of the Presidential Office and the Executive Yuan to take part in the March 18 rally. He will also call on former President Lee Teng-hui, the spiritual leader of the TSU, to take part in the rally, but as Lee will attend an economic development conference that day, he might not be able to attend.

(By Lilian Wu)

enditem/Li