For the US, the controversy over Taiwan's decision to cease the functions of the National Unification Council is "case closed" as "Americans don't tend to dwell on old problems," American Institute in Taiwan Chairman Raymond Burghardt said yesterday.
During a meeting with Taiwanese reporters, Burghardt said Washington was satisfied with President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) announcement on Feb. 27 that he was ceasing the functions of the NUC and the unification guidelines.
Burghardt noted that the subject did not come up in his meetings a day earlier with Chen, Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (
The US did not care much about the ceasing of the function of the NUC because, unlike the "four noes" pledge made by Chen in his 2000 inaugural speech, "it doesn't touch on constitutional issues," Burghardt said.
"The other four involve issues of sovereignty that are embedded in the Constitution," and that's "a rather important, inherent difference," he added.
The four things that Chen guaranteed he would not do during his term as president were: declare independence; change the national title; push for inclusion of a "two states" theory in the Constitution; and promote a referendum on the questions of independence or unification.
Burghardt also met with Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Chairman Joseph Wu (
The two exchanged views on cross-strait economic exchanges, direct air transportation and the operations of the Straits Exchange Foundation, the semi-official proxy in Taiwan to deal with China in the absence of official contact across the Strait.
Wu urged the US to encourage China not to stall negotiations with Taiwan.
additional reporting by Chang Yun-ping
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