Taiwan's de facto ambassador to the US, Chen Chien-jen (
In a press conference with the Taiwanese media in Washington, Chen also reiterated his plans to retire, saying he wants to be out of Washington by the time President Chen Shui-bian (
He could not say who his replacement might be.
Meanwhile, in a statement on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Taiwan Relations Act, the US pledged to pursue a "steady and constructive policy" in the Taiwan Strait.
"The US is strongly committed to fulfilling its obligations under the act," the State Department said. "The traditional bonds of friendship between the United States and the people of Taiwan remain strong and vibrant."
"The people of Taiwan can count on the United States to pursue a steady and constructive policy toward East Asia and the Taiwan Strait area," the statement said.
The act was signed on April 10, 1979, and established the unofficial relationship between Washington and Taiwan after former US president Jimmy Carter established diplomatic relations with Beijing the previous December.
On April 21, the House International Relations Commission will hold a hearing on the act, in which Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly is expected to make a major statement on US policy toward Taiwan which may clear up recent strains in that relationship and outline Washington's future policy toward Taiwan.
On the Shaheen affair, Chen Chien-jen, the head of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO), gave the Taiwanese press corps in Washington his version of the Shaheen incident.
On the morning of the election, Shaheen was on her way from Washington to Florida and the two only had contact by mobile phone, Chen Chien-jen said.
On March 26 the Central Election Commission certified Chen Shui-bian the winner of the election. Early that morning, Washington time, both Chen Chien-jen and Shaheen were trying to determine whether the CEC had announced the winner.
Chen Chien-jen told the Taipei Times that the protests at the CEC headquarters made it impossible for him to see the results, so he checked with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Shaheen checked with the State Department.
When they confirmed the results, she called him to congratulate Chen, he said. At the request of an official of the foreign affairs ministry, Chen Chien-jen asked an aide to certify the conversation by transcribing a written version, and Shaheen said this was "fine."
The two arranged to have lunch that day, and Shaheen signed the congratulatory note she had dictated. The note was faxed to Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Later that day, somebody in the ministry -- according to sources somebody who wanted to embarrass Chen Chien-jen and the Democratic Progressive Party -- leaked the written confirmation to the United Daily News, a pro-Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) newspaper, and the note was made public.
Chen Chien-jen said he did not know, when he faxed the note to Taipei, that it would be made public.
"I don't think that TECRO made any mistake," Chen told reporters, according to a translation. "But I regret that the case has led to the resignation of Ms. Shaheen," he said.
Chen's press conference followed Minister of Foreign Affairs Eugene Chien's announcement that he intends to quit over his department's role in the Shaheen resignation affair. The State Department on Friday refused to comment on Chien's resignation.
Saying the department was aware of Chien's offer, department spokesman Adam Ereli said, "We're not aware that the resignation has been accepted."
"As far as his motivations for tendering his resignation, I'd refer you to the government of Taiwan," he said.
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