Taiwans Chen Extends Olive Branch To China
TAIWAN HAS dumped its long-ruling Nationalist Government and elected as president the leader of a pro-independence party reviled by Beijing.
President-elect Chen Shui-Bian immediately held out an olive branch to the mainland but China reacted cautiously, saying yesterday it was "listening to the words, watching the action".
Within an hour of his victory, Mr Chen reached out to Beijing, saying that before his inauguration on May 20 he hoped to make a "journey of reconciliation" to the mainland. Outgoing President Lee Teng-Hui promised a smooth transfer of power and said he had urged officials, including Defence Minister Tang Fei, to be ready for threats to materialise from China.
US, Asian states urge new start: Asian countries today joined the United States in urging China and Taiwan to work towards a fresh era of meaningful dialogue after the latter elected a President whom Beijing least wanted to see in the job.
In Tokyo, a statement by Japanese Foreign Minister Yohei Kono said: "Japan expects that under such new circumstances, the issue relating to Taiwan will be settled peacefully through direct dialogue between the parties on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and that this dialogue will be promptly resumed."
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Chen's offers --and China's toned-down rhetoric --gave cause for optimism but warned that regional stability could be upset unless the two sides tread carefully.
The Singapore Government called on Chen to "usher in an era of serious dialogue and cooperation across the Taiwan Strait and contribute towards stability of the Asia Pacific region."
WASHINGTON RESTRAINS CHINA: Firm action by Washington ensured that the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) did not venture out to the Taiwan Strait to hold provocative military exercises as they did in 1996. Washington sent a number of senior diplomats and military officials, including the commander of the US Pacific Fleet Admiral Dennis Blair, to Beijing to warn China. The US State Department also summoned China's Ambassador to Washington and told him that Washington was upset over Beijing escalating rhetoric over Taiwan and sought concrete measures to ease tensions after the election in Taiwan.