The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday welcomed a White House statement calling on Beijing to find ways of reaching out to President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and his Cabinet, as Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) prepared for talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤).
Remarking that Washington has been following developments in the region very closely, White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said in a press conference on Wednesday that the US believes diplomacy is the only way to resolve the cross-strait dilemma.
Commenting on Lien's trip to China, McClellan said the White House hopes that "this is the start of Beijing finding new ways to reach out to President Chen and his Cabinet, because a long-term solution can only be found if Beijing negotiates with the duly elected leadership in Taiwan."
MAC Vice Chairman You Ying-lung (
You said China should engage in dialogue with the Taiwanese government as soon as possible so that cross-strait relations can be normalized.
"Governments on both sides of the Taiwan Strait have to be engaged in dialogues and negotiations in order to efficiently resolve issues that only governments have the power to address," You said.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Michel Lu (
"The US encourages both sides to start official talks and hopes that dialogues can bring peace and stability to the Taiwan Strait," Lu said.
The ministry hopes to see positive developments in cross-strait relations, said Lu, adding that political leaders should hold on to the principle of "maintaining national interests" when visiting China.
Taiwan's political party leaders should not break the law while meeting with Chinese leaders, Lu said.
Meanwhile, David Lee (
The WHA, the World Health Organization's (WHO) highest governing body, will take place from May 16 to 25 in Geneva. Taiwan will launch its ninth bid to enter the health body in the assembly. The US, WHO secretariat, Taipei and Beijing are negotiating [about Taiwan's participation in the WHO]. But Taipei and Beijing do not talk to each other directly, the diplomat said.
Alain Robert, known as the "French Spider-Man," praised Alex Honnold as exceptionally well-prepared after the US climber completed a free solo ascent of Taipei 101 yesterday. Robert said Honnold's ascent of the 508m-tall skyscraper in just more than one-and-a-half hours without using safety ropes or equipment was a remarkable achievement. "This is my life," he said in an interview conducted in French, adding that he liked the feeling of being "on the edge of danger." The 63-year-old Frenchman climbed Taipei 101 using ropes in December 2004, taking about four hours to reach the top. On a one-to-10 scale of difficulty, Robert said Taipei 101
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
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