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No need for Taiwan, mainland to target each other: Tsai

ROC Central News Agency

2016/03/18 16:09:19

Taipei, March 18 (CNA) President-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said Friday that there is no need for Taiwan and mainland China to target each other and she hoped that the resumption of diplomatic ties between mainland China and The Gambia was not such an act.

Tsai said regional peace and stability and the healthy development of relations across the Taiwan Strait are the shared responsibility of both sides, according to Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) spokesman Juan Chao-hsiung (阮昭雄).

'The two sides need not target each other for competition in the international community, need not to do things that would hurt feelings on both sides, as such actions would not be conducive to the normal development of cross-strait ties,' Tsai said.

She expressed the hope that the resumption of diplomatic relations between the mainland and The Gambia on Thursday was not an act of targeting Taiwan.

'The DPP's foreign policy is clear, which is to maintain peace, stability and prosperity with other countries,' Tsai said. 'On that basis, Taiwan is willing to contribute positively to the international community, whether in the area of economy, health or humanitarian relief.'

The DPP hopes that through such efforts, Taiwan can win greater support in the international community, Tsai said.

She also said that Taiwan's diplomatic situation is difficult, and national solidarity will be required to safeguard Taiwan's international space, freedom and democracy.

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and The Gambia issued a joint statement Thursday, saying that they had reestablished official relations after 21 years.

The Gambia had diplomatic ties with the Republic of China (Taiwan) until 1974, when it switched to Beijing.

In 1995, The Gambia severed diplomatic relations with China and switched back to Taiwan, but in November 2013 unilaterally decided to break diplomatic relations again with Taiwan.

The African country then sought to reestablish formal ties with Beiijng but was rejected until recently.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang (陸慷) said that the timing for the resumption of diplomatic ties between China and The Gambia was agreed upon by the two sides following consultation.

'The restoration of diplomatic ties between China and The Gambia targets no one ... There is no change to our position in promoting peaceful development of cross-strait relations,' Lu said at a press conference in Beijing Thursday.

(By Lu Hsin-hui and Lilian Wu)
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