Washington tells China to talk to Chen

Taking note of US officials' remarks in the wake of Lien's meeting with Hu, Presidential Office Spokesman Chen Wen-tsung (陳文宗) yesterday said China should deal directly with the government if it wants to resolve the dispute between the two sides of the Strait.

"We have stressed several times that cross-strait problems can be resolved only through government-to-government dialogue and consultation," the spokesman said. "The Beijing authorities should deal with the DPP government pragmatically."

The Presidential Office yesterday also called on Beijing to cease harboring its "United Front" (統戰) mindset against Taiwan.

The "United Front" refers to tactics and efforts employed by Beijing aimed at extending its influence in Taiwan to aid unification.

Additional reporting by Huang Tai-lin