Minister of Foreign Affairs Eugene Chien (簡又新) yesterday called a meeting with his staff to exchange views on the meaning of US President George W. Bush's Asian tour, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said.
At the meeting, Chien reached a common understanding with his staff that Bush's visit is aimed at promoting peace in the region, including the Taiwan Strait, MOFA spokeswoman Katharine Chang (
The understanding was made on the basis of information that MOFA has received from its overseas representative offices, as well as briefings that the US had made to Taiwan on Bush's visit to Japan, South Korea and China, Chang said.
"What we understand is that Bush's main purpose is to promote peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region. We understand that peace in the Taiwan Strait is to be promoted at the same time," Chang said.
"We believe that Bush will not sign a so-called `fourth communique' with Beijing during his visit to China," she said.
"We welcome Bush's statement prior to the start of his Asian trip that problems existing between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have to be resolved via peaceful means," she said.
"The statement sends a positive message to us. It is also our belief that cross-strait problems have to be resolved through negotiations," Chang said.
"Although the US wants the two sides of the Taiwan Strait to resolve their problems through negotiations, it will not interfere with the negotiations. It is fully up to us what we will talk about during the talks with Beijing," she said.
Chang added that negotiations have the potential to benefit all of the parties involved.
"The triangular relationship between Taiwan, China and the US should not be a zero-sum game. The three sides should rather benefit from it in its own way."
MOFA's response indicates that Bush's state visit is not expected to hurt Taiwan's interests.
But the response also reveals uncertainty about how the relationship between Taiwan, China and the US is to develop into a winning situation for the three nations.
The opening of direct air and sea links with China has been proposed as one solution, but it is not known whether MOFA had discussed the issue at its meeting yesterday on the meaning of the US president's Asian trip.
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