Sat, Mar 29, 2008 - Page 1 News List

Ma cautiously welcomes Hu comments

DIPLOMACY The AIT chief told Chen Shui-bian yesterday that he would only respond in private to his questions about the Cairo Declaration and so-called `1992 consensus'

By Mo Yan-chih  /  STAFF REPORTERS

In response to a question from KMT Legislator John Wu (吳志揚), Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) said he remained unsure if China had extended a gesture of goodwill by calling for cross-strait negotiation on the basis of the "1992 consensus."

Chang said the government had reservations about the content of the Bush-Hu discussion, because there seemed to be a "gap" between China's official press release after the telephone call and the "general interpretation of the consensus" in the world.

"We are not confident that China meant it" when Hu said China was willing to resume cross-strait negotiation on the basis of the "1992 consensus," Chang said.

Mainland Affairs Council Chairman Chen Ming-tong (陳明通) said that he would not consider the result of the Bush-Hu discussion a major improvement in cross-strait relations unless Hu publicly stated that he agreed Taiwan could define "one China" as the ROC.

"Cross-strait relations are complicated. We should not cheer too soon," Chen Ming-tong said. "Over the years, we have not benefited from our ambiguity strategy. What we need now is a clear-cut strategy."

Wu, however, called the result of the Bush-Hu dialogue a "good beginning."

Wu said that it was more important that the international community dealt with issues concerning cross-strait relations based on the "1992 consensus."

He also rejected the Democratic Progressive Party caucus' previous claim that the KMT's emphasis on the consensus was part of its plan to "sell out" Taiwan.

"If the KMT's support of the 1992 consensus were a strategy to sell out Taiwan, the KMT would not have won the presidential election," Wu said.

Additional reporting by Jenny W. Hsu and flora wang

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