Cross-strait peace will be built on negotiations between Taipei and Beijing on an equal footing, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Wang Tuoh (王拓) said yesterday.
Wang's remarks came as South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun met for a second day yesterday with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang.
The Korean summit is the second meeting between the heads of state of the two Koreas since the Korean Peninsula was divided 60 years ago.
Wang said the meeting was significant in that the two Koreas are engaging in talks on an equal footing based on mutual respect.
He lamented that China has yet to view Taiwan as a sovereign, independent state, saying that cross-strait peace should be built on mutual respect so that negotiations between the two sides based on an equal footing will be possible.
Wang noted that both Koreas are members of the UN, while Beijing has continued to obstruct Taiwan's bid to join the world body.
He urged China to "take a cue" from the Roh-Kim meeting, acknowledge that Taiwan is a sovereign, independent country and help Taiwan join the UN.
China should also remove the 900 missiles deployed along its southeastern coast to end the military threat against Taiwan and contribute to peace in Asia and the rest of the world.
Meanwhile, DPP Legislator Huang Wei-cher (
He urged Ma to learn from the Korean summit, saying that talks on direct cross-strait transportation links should be conducted on an equal footing.
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