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U.S. welcomes dialogue between Taiwan, China

ROC Central News Agency

2008-05-29 11:58:42

    Washington, May 28 (CNA) The United States is cautiously optimistic about the recent positive developments across the Taiwan Strait that have unfolded following the meeting between leaders of ruling parties of both sides, a U.S. military official said Wednesday. "We are encouraged by the dialogue between the new government in Taiwan and the current government in the People's Republic of China," said Timothy Keating, commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, during a news briefing held at the Pentagon. "We're encouraged by Taiwan leaders' presence in China to offer assistance and relief aid to the earthquake victims. All of these are positive signs, in our view," Keating added.

    In what marked the first contact between the leaders of the governing parties of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait since 1949, Taiwan's ruling Kuomintang Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung held talks with his Communist Party of China counterpart, President Hu Jintao, in Beijing Wednesday.

    During the meeting, Hu lauded the outpouring of sympathy and aid from Taiwan for the victims of the May 12 earthquake that ravaged the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan.

    Keating noted that China's reaction in the aftermath of the earthquake has been different from its reaction to other natural disasters there, in that it is now willing to accept aid from other countries.

    Keating said that in the wake of the earthquake, the United States sent several flights loaded with relief supplies to China.

    Last Saturday, Keating disclosed, he spoke for about an hour with a senior Chinese military official via the Pentagon's hotline to discuss the aid the U.S. government had provided. "The hotline didn't exist a while ago. And it was very easy to set up the connection. They were quite willing to accept the phone call," Keating said. "While it is catastrophic and tragic, it nonetheless is an opportunity for us to increase and improve the communications we have with officials in China. And that is beneficial from our position, " he added.

(By Chiehyu Lin and Y.F. Low)

ENDITEM /pc