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Hsieh holds talks with Colin Powell

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) met former US secretary of state Colin Powell in Washington on Wednesday.

Hsieh said that during the meeting, Powell emphasized that the US policy remained that Washington opposes any unilateral action that would change the "status quo" across the Taiwan Strait.

Hsieh said, however, that there were differences between how Taiwan and the US define the "status quo."

Powell said that China had waged a psychological war against Taiwan over the past 50 years and encouraged Taiwan to be more confident.

Powell said he hoped Taiwan would continue to strengthen its democracy and enjoy more freedom. However, he said this did not mean Taiwan should challenge the "status quo."

He said that although the fairness of the US' "one China" policy is being questioned, the policy remains the most effective and feasible in terms of avoiding an escalation of tensions in the region.

Hsieh told reporters that the purpose of his visit to the US was to elaborate on his campaign platform and exchange views with US friends on important issues such as Taiwan's plan to hold a referendum on joining the UN under the name "Taiwan."

US State Department officials have expressed disapproval of the plan, saying that the US "opposes any initiative that appears designed to change Taiwan's status unilaterally."

In related news, 30 current and former members of the US House of Representatives attended a reception in the Capitol in honor of Hsieh on Wednesday, where they vowed to pursue close relations with Taiwan and called for the administration of US President George W. Bush to lift its ban on visits to Washington by top-level Taiwanese leaders.

The attendance of 27 current and three former members set a record for the number of Congressional members attending such a function. This was even higher than at receptions welcoming former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) and an event last year marking the fifth anniversary of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus.

House Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Tom Lantos led Congress in praising Taiwan-US relations.

"I want to express my extraordinary admiration for the people of the remarkable island of Taiwan, who created under very difficult circumstances a prosperous and flourishing democracy," he said.

"Taiwan is a vibrant democracy and a powerful productive 21st century economy," Lantos said.

Lantos' Republican counterpart on the committee, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, said there is a "broad bipartisan coalition" in Congress in favor of high-level visits.

Noting that Hsieh is a former premier, she said: "Sitting premiers should also be able to visit Washington."

Describing the nearly 1,000 missiles aimed at Taiwan as "an act of a bully," she said that Beijing should stop trying to force dialogue with Taiwan "through coercive measures."

Hsieh again made the case for Congress to pass legislation enabling top Taiwanese officials to visit Washington and talk with US government officials.

Citing a bill in Congress that would authorize such visits, Hsieh said: "I hope it can pass as soon as possible. I hope that if I am elected, I can come to Washington to meet you all again."

He also repeated his call for dialogue with Beijing.

If elected, he said: "I will make every effort to restore dialogue with China. But I will never accept any precondition to give up our sovereignty."

Many of the members of Congress who spoke at the reception urged the passage of legislation allowing visits by top-level Taiwanese leaders to Washington.

US visit

"I hope that Frank Hsieh can travel to the United States at any time under all circumstances, if he is elected," Robert Andrews, a leading House supporter of Taiwan, said, echoing the sentiments of other lawmakers in attendance.

The nation' top representative in Washington, Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), praised Hsieh.

"He has the credentials [to be president] and he is a crafter of Taiwan's democracy," he said.

Hsieh left Washington yesterday morning for Detroit, the third city on his four-city US visit. He will be in the Detroit area for a day before flying to Los Angeles en route to Taipei.

tight-lipped

Hsieh was tight-lipped about his meetings with US officials during his three days of talks in Washington.

Under rules set by the State Department, Hsieh did not even directly confirm he had held talks at all.

But during his stay he is believed to have had breakfast with Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns on Monday and to have met senior officers of the National Security Council (NSC) on Tuesday.

It was unclear whether, while at the NSC, he had met National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley or one of his aides.

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