Top Chinese official wants resumption of cross-strait talks

China's top official for cross-strait negotiations said yesterday that Beijing and Taipei should resume dialogue as soon as possible.

Wang Daohan (汪道涵), the head of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS), said during a speech yesterday at the 10th anniversary celebration for the organization that talks should resume soon.

"No matter how Taiwan's political situation has changed, the crucial point for breaking the deadlock between the two sides is re-starting dialogue based on the consensus that two sides have reached in 1992," Wang said.

Wang made the remarks in a speech read by Sun Yafu (孫亞夫), secretary-general for ARATS.

Wang said that both sides reached a consensus in 1992, based on the two agreeing that there is only "one China" and that Taiwan and China both belong to "one China."

Wang added that if Taiwan refuses to recognize the 1992 consensus, "Taiwan wouldn't be considered as having any sincerity in improving cross-strait relations."

Former Taiwanese government officials who were in power in 1992 have said that no consensus was ever reached on "one China."

On Friday, Koo Chen-fu (辜振甫), chairman of Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation, said he hoped to meet with his Chinese counterpart in Taiwan.