The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday confirmed that party chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) met with former Singaporean prime minister Lee Kuan Yew (李光耀) and Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong (吳作棟) on Wednesday and promised to seek closer relations with China.
Wu met with the two Singaporeans during his trip to Southeast Asia to discuss the global financial crisis and the economic situation in the region, the KMT confirmed in a press release after major Singaporean newspapers had reported on the meeting.
During the meeting, Lee reiterated Singapore’s support of the “one China” policy and called on President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration to continue improving cross-strait relations as it would benefit the region as a whole.
Goh joined Lee in welcoming the Ma administration’s efforts to seek closer ties with China and said he expected Taipei and Beijing to hold more talks in the future.
As the ruling party, Wu said the KMT had reached a consensus with China to put aside political controversy and focus on efforts to push for peaceful development and economic cooperation across the Taiwan Strait.
The KMT chairman also met with overseas Taiwanese groups during his trip and said they should feel free to develop relations with Chinese groups in Singapore, as the two sides of the Strait are seeking peaceful relations.
Wu visited Singapore, the Philippines and Malaysia during the nine-day trip to discuss the development of bilateral or multilateral economic relations and returned late on Wednesday night.
Summing up his trip upon his return, Wu said it remained difficult for Taiwan to sign free trade agreements with nations in Southeast Asia and so the government should seek to sign an economic cooperation framework agreement with China first.
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