Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) urged Beijing yesterday to modify its "one China" formulation into a term closer to "one Chinese-speaking community."
During a meeting with US-China analyst Bonnie Glaser yesterday, Lu said the term "one Chunghua" (一個中華) is more acceptable than Beijing's "one China" (一個中國).
Chunghua is usually translated as "China" or "Chinese" in dictionaries but has stronger cultural connotations than Chungkuo (中國), which is only used for "China."
The Chinese for the names of both the PRC and the ROC share the words Chunghua.
Using the word Chungkuo for China will present certain problems, such as the question of who would govern such a country, Lu said.
"`One China' is unfair to Taiwan because the people of Taiwan neither hold PRC passports nor pay taxes to Beijing," Lu added.
"It is not fair for Beijing to say Taiwan cannot do this and cannot do that. Taiwan is not a troublemaker; the fact is that it is a peacemaker," Lu said.
On June 5, Lu appealed to US President Bill Clinton to lift the ban on visits by high-ranking officials between the US and Taiwan and to issue a new communique urging Taiwan and China to resolve their differences peacefully.
Yesterday, Lu also called unification a future matter that may be difficult to achieve any time soon. However, Lu tried to invoke a bigger picture, saying the EU may be a good model for the integration of the Asia Pacific region.
During a meeting of Harvard University alumni on May 29, Lu called for the establishment of a Union of Asian States, similar to the EU.
Lu also stressed yesterday the need for both sides to set up communication channels between their leaders.
Reiterating her idea of Taiwan and China being "distant relatives and close neighbors," Lu said there was no reason for either side to use force against the other.
Lu also accused China of resorting to nationalism and using the Taiwan issue to divert public attention from its own domestic difficulties.
For her part, Glaser praised President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) performance so far. The US government sees Chen's actions as positive and proactive, Glaser said.
She also stressed the need for Taiwan's new government to handle cross-strait relations skillfully.
Glaser is currently an Asian affairs consultant to the US state and defense departments. She is also active in "track two" discussions on cross-strait issues.
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