Bush-Jiang talks acceptable, says foreign minister

Foreign Minister Eugene Chien (簡又新) yesterday gave a guarded response to talks between US President George W. Bush and Chinese President Jiang Zemin (江澤民) regarding Taiwan, saying the result was acceptable but not completely satisfactory.

At the summit last Friday at his Texas ranch, Bush stressed that Washington did not support Taiwan independence.

"It's not that I am not satisfied with what Bush said," Chien said. "It just that I think it would have been much better if Bush had also included statements such as `China ought not to use force against Taiwan' and the like."

Chien made the remark in response to a question from KMT Legislator John Chang (章孝嚴) in the legislature's Foreign and Overseas Chinese Committee.

During the session, Chang asked Chien to comment on the summit talks and whether the ministry had received a statement from US Department of State concerning the matter.

"The content of the summit talks we know of so far went as we expected," said Chien, adding that Bush's statement was simply a reiteration of Washington's long-standing position on the Taiwan question.

"Because it was over the weekend, the ministry has yet to receive a formal statement from the US Department of State," he said. "But it should come in the next few days."

In addition to the summit talks, legislators also raised an incident in which first lady Wu Shu-chen (吳淑珍) was forced to undergo an airport security check during her visit to the US last month.

Wu was searched at a Washington airport before she left for Los Angeles on Sept. 26.

Chen Chien-jen (程建人), Taiwan's representative to the US, has said he would take full responsibility for the incident, although Chien told lawmakers yesterday that neither Wu nor the ministry had discussed replacing Chen.

"Chen and his mission did well in hosting first lady Wu, whose visit to the US was a success despite a few minor flaws," Chien said. The ministry will review the flaws and discipline those involved, if necessary, he said.

Several legislators, including DPP legislators Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) and Lee Ming-hsien (李明憲) and KMT Legislator Chiang Yi-wen (江綺雯), spoke in Chen's defense and urged Chien not to replace him.

"Chen has not talked about resigning, but if he does, I will certainly ask him to reconsider," said Chien, adding that he would forward the legislators' remarks to the Presidential Office.