De facto ambassador to the US Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) yesterday said he would work to build a channel of communication that would help the US understand Taiwan.
Wu shared his goals for his new job yesterday afternoon in a farewell news conference held at the Mainland Affairs Council, where he served as chairman for the past three years.
Wu will arrive in Washington on April 14 and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will hold a swear-in ceremony for Wu on April 12 before Wu leaves Taipei.
The ministry yesterday also gave Wu a briefing about his new diplomatic position.
Wu said President Chen Shui-bian (
"I think Taiwan and the US have a very solid friendship, but it seems that some issues have not been fully communicated and understood by both sides," he said. "It is a perception that Taiwan, as a democratic country, has not been treated fairly, as it deserves, and we wonder if we can get equal opportunities to voice our position."
For example, Wu said, that although South Korea had had tense relations with the US, the two countries concluded a landmark free trade agreement on Monday.
Asked if the American Institute in Taiwan had offered an invitation to visit Washington after next year's presidential election and whether Wu would list Chen's trip to the US as one of his tasks, Wu said he had not yet received such an order, but said he agreed that it was another example of discrimination against Taiwan that high-ranking governmental officials could not visit the US freely.
He will bring this issue to the attention of Washington, he said.
While saying that he would consider creating a space or a location in Washington for officials from Taiwan and China to communicate with each other, Wu added that he doubted the Chinese government would allow its officials to have contact with Taiwanese officials.
"Our principle is we open up to them [Chinese officials] and not avoid meeting them," Wu said.
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