Contrary to the earlier impression that Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) trip to Washington last week scored successes with the US government, US officials were not pleased with Ma's proposals or performance, a group of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators said on Thursday.
Members of the group said that US officials they met on Wednesday told them they thought Ma's proposals for closer ties with Beijing were impractical, and chastised him for hurting Taiwan's security by standing in the way of the purchase of a package of weapons from the US.
"Apparently, [US officials] are not happy with Ma Ying-jeou," the head of the legislative delegation, DPP Legislator Charles Chiang (江昭儀), told the Taipei Times.
PHOTO: NADIA TSAO, TAIPEI TIMES
The DPP legislators also said US officials were pleased with the performance of Taiwan's de facto ambassador to Washington, David Lee (李大維), despite calls in Taiwan for his removal.
The legislative group spoke with the Taiwan press corp in Washington near the end of a three-day trip during which they met US government officials, members of Congress, think tanks and others, to discuss the situation in Taiwan and US-Taiwan relations.
During this week's visit, the group met National Security Council (NSC) China expert Dennis Wilder and other NSC officials. One Pentagon official also attended. On Thursday, the group was scheduled to meet with State Department officials.
In addition, they met individually with a half-dozen congressmen and at a lunch with members of the Taiwanese Congressional Caucus.
It was reported that Wilder and a state department official, negotiated the final wording of President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) announcement mothballing the National Unification Council and guidelines, diffusing a potentially explosive situation earlier this month.
Members of the DPP delegation say US officials consider the episode "over," indicating that US relations with Chen and his government have returned to an equilibrium.
The US officials felt that Ma's cross-strait proposals, "even though they sounded very good, and could reduce the tensions between Taiwan and the PRC [People's Republic of China], Taiwan's people could not accept them and they're not practical," Chiang told the Taipei Times.
DPP Legislator William Lai (賴清德) said US officials "don't accept such a framework" as Ma proposed.
He said the officials believed that China "should talk with the present Taiwan government," rather than wait for any KMT victory in the 2008 presidential election.
"The US officials said they do not believe that the PRC would accept Ma Ying-jeou's proposal because the PRC has said again and again that the PRC is the legitimate government of China, and that Taiwan is part of China," DPP Legislator You Ching (尤清) said.
US officials also denied to the DPP delegation reports that Ma received special attention from the US government as a sign of their unhappiness with Chen.
Congressmen expressed concern over the timing of Ma's visit, which came when Congress was out for a week-long recess, preventing them from meeting with him.
The US lawmakers accused Ma of doing that on purpose because "Congress would be more vocal" in opposing him, Chiang said.
As for Washington's relations with Chen, Lai said the US side rejected Ma's portrait of Chen.
"Ma said the United States was very angry with Chen in terms of the NUC. But that is not true, because for the United States, the NUC issue is over," Lai said.
"The United States knows very well what Chen Shui-bian has done. They have very good communication. Regarding the NUC, the puzzle for the United States is how it happened. However, after communications, it is not a problem any more. That's why the United States said the problem is over. So, what Ma said is untrue," Lai said.
The US is unhappy about Ma's and the KMT's action on US arms sales, a delegation member said.
"The US officials said we should defend our national security," You said.
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