Mainland Affairs Council Chair-woman Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) ended two days of talks with US officials and Washington think tanks Friday, near the end of an emergency visit to put out any fires caused by President Chen Shui-bian's "one country on each side" of the Taiwan Strait remarks last weekend, but remained tight-lipped about her discussions, telling reporters that Chen's remarks had "nothing to do" with her talks with US officials.
Tsai denied widespread reports that Washington was furious over the fact that Chen made his comments without letting them know well in advance, and that the officials she talked with urged prior notification if such incidents are repeated in the future.
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
"We actually discussed the possibility of improving communications between the two sides and we talked about things that are more constructive than that," she told reporters Friday afternoon.
In keeping with the govern-ment's efforts to downplay the Chen speech and Tsai's Washington visit, the carefully staged press conference was held in the driveway of the Taiwan representative's office building, to give the conference an impromptu, casual look.
Tsai denied reports that she apologized to Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage and Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs James Kelly for Chen's remarks and not letting the George W. Bush administration know beforehand that Chen was to deliver the speech.
"Such reports are a mistake," she said. An apology "had nothing to do with what I talked with US government officials about during this trip," she said.
Asked about the English translation of Chen's remarks, which some congressional sources complained was inconsistent with the Chinese version, Tsai conceded that the English version is "not an official version." Her attempt at an explanation of the differences between the Chinese and English versions of Chen's statements caused dismay among some congressional staffers and others she met during her Washington trip.
Tsai said the whole incident should not hurt US relations with Taiwan.
"That is the judgment of the US government, not ours," she said. "But according to our observation, according to the judgment of the Taiwan government, I think relations between the two countries remain the same."
US opposition to Taiwan independence "was not a topic of our meetings," she said.
Asked whether Washington was satisfied with her explanations of Chen's remarks, Tsai said only that, "We are generally happy to have this opportunity to exchange views." She described the atmosphere in her meetings with Bush administration officials as friendly.
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