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Joseph Wu says relations with US are healthy

Despite the fact that the two countries do not always agree on all issues, relations between Taiwan and the US are in good shape, representative to the US Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said on Saturday.

Speaking at a gathering in California to mark the sixth conference of the Taipei-based Global Alliance for Democracy and Peace, Wu told the audience that "Taiwan is on good terms with the United States."

Wu said that although Taiwan and the US have "differing stances" on Taiwan's bid to enter the UN under the name "Taiwan," the US "will accept" the referendum on the UN bid that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) are proposing to allow Taiwanese to express their desire for freedom and democracy.

communication

Regardless of whether the DPP's referendum, or the one proposed by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) on "rejoining" the UN using the nation's official title, the Republic of China (ROC), succeeds, the US will view Taiwan from a different angle that will be conducive to mutual understanding and communication between the two countries, he said.

Wu said the fact that one in five engineers working in the San Francisco Bay Area high-tech sector is Taiwanese proves that ties between Taiwan and the US are close.

He called on Taiwanese expatriates in the US to spare no effort in pushing the US administration and the business sector to begin talks with Taiwan on the signing of a bilateral free-trade agreement so that Taiwan can enjoy trade opportunities equal to those enjoyed by other countries.

relentless

Wu said that China has not relented in its oppression and containment of Taiwan in the international community, which has led Taiwan to strive to change its official name. The nation's official name should therefore be "Taiwan" and not "The ROC," he said.

He added that global publicity about "Taiwan identity" was "primordial."
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