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Post-Election 2008: Washington reviews application for proposed Ma visit

Washington has received a request from president-elect Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to visit the US before his May 20 inauguration, a US State Department official said on Tuesday.

The official from the department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs said the US government will consider Ma's request and make a decision in accordance with the country's long-standing policy toward Taiwan and its "one China" policy as conceptualized in the three US-China joint communiques and the Taiwan Relations Act.

Ma raised the possibility on Monday of visiting the US prior to being sworn in during a meeting with American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Stephen Young.

A senior State Department official told the media on Monday that the US government has not changed its principles in dealing with requests by Taiwan leaders to visit the US.

These principles include that the visit should be private and unofficial and that such a visit would be arranged for the convenience, comfort, safety and dignity of the travelers, the official said.

If Ma's US visit is permitted, it will set a precedent that is almost certain to draw opposition from Beijing.

Bonnie Glaser, a senior associate with the Center for Strategic and International Studies based in Washington, told the Central News Agency that the lack of a precedent and the possible protest from Bei-jing are not necessarily valid reasons for the US to turn down Ma's request.

In considering whether to accept the request, however, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) administration and the administration of US President George W. Bush should first discuss whether a visit is necessary, Glaser said.

"What can be achieved through a visit to Washington that cannot be achieved through other means? The up sides and the down sides should be clearly understood and weighed," Glaser said, noting there are many ways of engaging in dialogue.

If the US decided to approve the visit, "steps should be taken by both the US and Taiwan to reassure Beijing so as to avoid a negative impact on future cross-strait relations," she said.

Meanwhile, June Teufel Dreyer, a professor of political science at the University of Miami, expressed strong support for "the idea of a pre-inauguration visit to Washington by president-elect Ma, regardless of Beijing's feelings on the matter."

Dreyer said that the Taiwan Relations Act gives Washington significant responsibilities for protecting Taiwan against hostile actions by China and therefore "it is very important for Taiwan officials to be able to confer with leading US decision-makers in departments or offices that are relevant to Taiwan's defense and foreign policies."
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