Chen believes WTO entry will improve China ties

President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) has expressed hope that relations with Beijing will improve after China and Taiwan join the WTO in November.

"Both sides have paid various efforts to stabilize our relationship. The fact that the relationship has not deteriorated will become the foundation for improved ties in the future," Chen told Japan's Mainichi newspaper in an interview published yesterday.

"[After the two nations join the global trade group] discussions and contacts [between Taiwan and China] will be carried out within the framework of the WTO. The establishment of the `three links' would be part of the discussion," Chen told the daily.

The three links is shorthand for direct transport, trade and communication ties across the Taiwan Strait, and form the core of a series of sweeping Taiwanese proposals to ease curbs on economic exchange with China.

Relations between the two sides have frozen further since Chen, a former high-profile advocate of Taiwanese independence, was elected president last year.

But Chen told the Mainichi that he would continue to call on Beijing to resume talks with Taiwan.

"There has not been any response from China ... but we will not abandon efforts to improve the relationship," Chen said.

Chen said Taiwan's relationship with the US had "improved significantly," adding that he was confident of building a tighter relationship.