The Mainland Affairs Council released a pamphlet highlighting Taiwan's "longstanding goodwill" toward China at an international press conference yesterday.
The pamphlet, entitled Taipei's Olive Branches, marks the first time that a government publication has been issued in simplified Chinese characters.
"[Chinese] visiting Taiwan will have access to this pamphlet. We sincerely believe that as long as we make an effort to let the seeds of goodwill and peace flourish in the heart of the Chinese people, we will be rewarded with the fruits of our labors," Mainland Affairs Council Council Chairman Joseph Wu (
The pamphlet includes 30 individual "olive branches" offered by the Democratic Progressive Party since it took executive power in 2000.
Because the government's main priorities in cross-strait negotiations -- such as fruit exports, direct charter flights and tourism liberalization -- are slow in producing results, Wu said that Taiwan's goodwill could be spread to China more directly and efficiently through the pamphlet.
In response to a question on negotiations over cross-strait charter flights, Wu said that progress had been limited despite the government marking this as a priority issue.
"We haven't come to the point where negotiations can take place. The Chinese side doesn't seem to be very eager to talk with Taiwan," he said.
While admitting there were difficulties in cross-strait negotiations, Wu said that this did not mean that there was no chance of talks taking place.
"I would urge the Chinese government to take negotiations with Taiwan seriously," he said.
As for Chinese President Hu Jintao's (胡錦濤) latest proposal that the US and China jointly safeguard peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, Wu responded by saying that the international community should jointly demand that the Chinese government not use military force against Taiwan.
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