Vice President Annette Lu (
"I hope the US can play a more active role in cross-strait affairs," said Lu. "And that President Clinton can firmly express the US' stance in solving cross-strait problems through peaceful measures."
Lu said that the "tension-filled" relationship between Taiwan and China should start anew now that the DPP has come to power.
"The DPP government does not wish to be hostile toward the Chinese mainland but expects both sides to remain peaceful and friendly with each other," said Lu.
Lu made her remarks yesterday during a meeting with John J. Hamre, the new president of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and other guests currently attending the CSIS's annual meeting in Taiwan.
Lu told attendees that Taiwan does not oppose the US developing a relationship with China and supports the US having Permanent Normal Trade Relations with Beijing. "However," she said, "we have five expectations of the US government."
Those five expectations are:
* Lifting the ban on visits between top-ranking officials of both Taiwan and the US
* Adjusting the "three pillars" of the US' China policy to place the "peaceful resolution of Taiwan and China's differences" ahead of the "promotion of dialogue" and the US' acceptance of Beijing's "one China" policy;
* Issuing a communique, before President Clinton leaves office, which clearly expresses the US government's desire to see both sides of the Taiwan Strait solving their problems in a peaceful manner.
* Continuing the sales of defensive arms to Taiwan in order to offset the rising military threat from China;
* Playing a more active role in relations between Taiwan and China.
Lu said that Taiwan and China have a special relationship. "The people in Taiwan are Chinese in terms of culture, but in terms of politics, huge differences exist between both sides. Therefore I've offered the concept of `distant relatives and near neighbors,' (
Lu said that Taiwanese are well educated in democracy and are concerned about human rights as well as human dignity. However, Lu said, China's communist government only stresses its right to Taiwan's territory and sovereignty, which is the basis of its nationalistic stance.
"It [the Chinese government] never expresses any goodwill to the Taiwanese and does not understand what people in Taiwan think," Lu said.
She added that the Taiwanese love peace and democracy, values shared by the US, "and therefore Taiwan is absolutely not the troublemaker, but is like a lighthouse that can guide the mainland in its future development."
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