The newly appointed chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) has vowed to promote the welfare of the people on either side of the Taiwan Strait, a local report said yesterday.
Chang Chun-hsiung (
Chang, who has also served as Presidential Office secretary-general and as a legislator for seven consecutive terms, has long been a close partner and political heavyweight trusted by the president, according to the report.
Chen hopes Chang can help him open a window of opportunity for the strained cross-strait relations.
Taiwan and China experienced a period of harmonious interaction and exchanges since historic talks between Koo and Wang Daohan (汪道涵), chairman of the Beijing-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS) in 1993, the report said.
Unfortunately, the cross-strait consultation channels broke down in 1995 and the death of Koo interrupted the experience accumulated by the SEF and ARATS.
The new SEF head has been described, even by some opposition party members, as an honest, modest and respectable politician capable of resolving disputes.
Within the DPP, Chang is a pragmatic advocate of strengthening cross-strait exchanges. He worked on pushing the passage of the DPP's 1999 resolution on Taiwan's future, saying that Taiwan and China should improve their mutual understanding and economic and trade cooperation through wide-ranging dialogue in order to establish a peaceful framework and durable stability between the two sides.
To put into practice the resolution, Chang as premier not only loosened the restrictions set by former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) on cross-strait economic and trade exchanges, but also adopted a policy to help promote economic and trade exchanges between the two sides of the Strait. Throughout his tenure as premier, Chang also urged both sides to engage in dialogue without preconditions.
He was also the first DPP member to suggest that the president ameliorate and normalize cross-strait relations after last year's legislative elections. His pushing for better ties between the two sides was an important factor the president's selection of him to fill the vacancy left by Koo.
Chen has reiterated several times since he became president that he would honor his "five noes" commitment. He has also said that he did not change the principles for dealing with China during his first term and that such principles and commitments will remain unchanged in his second term.
In addition, Chen took the further step earlier this year of pushing for an agreement on direct cross-strait charter flights, expressing the hope that by doing so, Taiwan and China can jointly create a new era of consultation.
According to Chang, there will be relative cross-strait stability from now until 2008 as in Taiwan, Chen is seen as someone who will not betray the nation's interests in any talks with China.
Besides, by reaching an agreement with opposition People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) in a meeting in February, Chen also promised that he will not declare independence, will not change the designation of the nation and will not push for a unification versus independence referendum that will change the status quo, Chang said.
This is the most important common factor reached by the ruling DPP and the opposition after they encountered pressure from the public, he went on, adding that this also shows certain similarities to the spirit of the four points set by Chinese President Hu Jintao (
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