20120608 DPP chairman meets US diplomat on think-tank trip
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DPP chairman meets US diplomat on think-tank trip

By Chris Wang / Staff reporter


Democratic Progressive Party Chairperson Su Tseng-chang, right, shakes hands with members of a US delegation in Taipei yesterday as former US ambassador to the UN John Bolton, second right, looks on.
Photo: Lo Pei-der, Taipei Times


Former US ambassador to the UN John Bolton yesterday said that Taiwan has an expanded role to play in the international community as well as in the USˇ¦ strategic pivot to Asia.

Taiwan getting full membership in the UN and having an expanded role in the international community would be ˇ§in the USˇ¦ interests,ˇ¨ said Bolton, who is leading a delegation of the American Enterprise Institute think tank on a visit to Taiwan.

He made the comments during the delegationˇ¦s meeting with Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Su Tseng-chang (Ĭ­s©÷) yesterday.

Bolton said he has always believed that Taiwan, as a fully functioning state, with a large economy and an important role in regional democracy, should enjoy full membership at the UN and its affiliated bodies, but China has blocked all of Taiwanˇ¦s efforts to join any of these international agencies.

It would be up to Taiwanese themselves to decide which agency they want to join, when and at which pace, he said, adding that ˇ§the US should prepare to supportˇ¨ Taiwanˇ¦s effort.

Bolton said that with more international clout, Taiwan would be able to play a role in several unfolding issues that greatly concern the US, such as Chinaˇ¦s assertion of its territorial claims in the East China Sea and South China Sea, and displaying military force against claimants in the region ˇX which include Taiwan.

ˇ§Taiwan has a role to play there,ˇ¨ he said without elaborating.

In other areas of US-Taiwan relations, he said, both sides should promote broader economic cooperation.

Su said Boltonˇ¦s views on Taiwan and its international participation matched the DPPˇ¦s long-standing positions.

The newly elected chairman raised the issues of the partyˇ¦s much-discussed China policy, saying that the DPPˇ¦s unwavering position on Taiwanˇ¦s sovereignty is correct, but it would have to change its ˇ§mentality and approachˇ¨ toward engaging with Beijing.

The change would not be made purely for domestic considerations, Su said, adding that the situation in the Asia-Pacific region as well as political and economic developments in China should also be included in the DPPˇ¦s deliberations.

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