Washington approves of Taipei's "firm, peaceful and rational" response to the passage of China's "Anti-Secession" Law, according to Taiwan's top representative to the US.
David Lee (李大維), head of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the US, told a routine press conference with Washington-based Taiwanese journalists that the US is displeased with Beijing's persistence in pushing through the legislation, which "has unilaterally changed the status quo across the Taiwan Strait."
In contrast, the response of Taiwanese officials to the law has earned the US' acclaim, Lee said, adding "the depth and width of communications between Taipei and Washington are better than they were" and that "both sides fully understand each other's views."
As for President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) decision to join today's march against China's new law, Lee said that people in democratic countries have the right to express their opinions through such an activity.
"The US understands this point very well," he said, when asked how Washington took Chen's planned participation.
The US also responded positively to Chen's willingness to sign a 10-point agreement on cross-strait relations, national defense and ethnic reconciliation with People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) last month, Lee said.
He said he felt an obvious shift in Washington's attitude toward Taipei since Dec. 17, the day Beijing announced its plan to enact the "Anti-Secession" Law. That day was "a turning point" in the trilateral relations between Beijing, Washington and Taipei, he said.
In his communications with the US Congress and the State Department, Lee said he sensed "growing mutual trust" between Washington and Taipei.
"The Bush administration has highly praised President Chen's recent performance," he said.
The government's reaction to the Chinese law has turned the crisis into an opportunity, he said.
"The international community's response to the passage of the law is overwhelmingly negative. China has received various blows and has to defend the law ? The EU's possible postponement in lifting its arms embargo on China is apparently a result of the legislation," Lee said.
He also told the reporters that a group of Taiwanese legislators will visit Washington in two weeks.
"The international community has become supportive of Taiwan since the passage of the law. It is the right time for Taiwanese legislators to visit the US. How Taiwan should strengthen its defensive capability is a focal issue now," Lee said.
The legislative delegation is expected to discuss the government's arms budget during its visit.
In the past, Lee said, Taiwan was criticized and often called a troublemaker when it tried to fight China's oppression; now the criticism is directed at China.
"In the US, the Congress, the media and academic circles have all strongly criticized the Anti-Secession Law," he said.
"US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who was in Beijing on Monday, expressed the US' firm stance on the law to the Chinese authorities," Lee said.
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