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Su, AIT chair discuss
Chinese zone
MAINTAINING STABILITY: The DPP chairman
underlined the importance of all countries in the Asia-Pacific region working
together to lower tensions and avoiding conflict
By Chris Wang / Staff reporter
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) met American
Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Chairman Raymond Burghardt yesterday to discuss the
party’s China policy and the recent escalation of regional tensions due to
China’s demarcation of an air defense identification zone (ADIZ), the DPP said.
Burghardt, who arrived in Taiwan on Sunday for a five-day visit, met with Su at
the DPP headquarters for a 60-minute closed-door meeting, according to a press
release issued by the party.
The AIT chairman reiterated that the US has refused to recognize the Chinese
zone, a point US Vice President Joe Biden made repeatedly during his recent
visits to Japan, South Korea and China, the release said.
Burghardt also asked Su about the DPP’s progress in formulating its China
policy, the release said.
With regard to the dispute over China’s air defense identification zone, Su
underlined the importance of all democratic countries in the Asia-Pacific region
— including Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Australia and the US — working together
to lower tensions.
The DPP’s position is in line with Su’s advocacy of an Asia-Pacific democratic
alliance, established to foster collaboration on the maintenance of regional
stability and resolution of conflict, the release quoted Su as saying.
During the meeting, Su said that President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) reaction to
Beijing’s demarcation of the zone has been “slow, weak and ambiguous,” the
release said.
On the party’s China policy, Su said the DPP has begun summarizing of a series
of panel discussions and meetings on various policy issues, and expects to
finalize its policy recommendations shortly.
Burghardt, who served as the AIT’s Taipei office director between 1999 and 2001,
is visiting Taiwan in his current capacity for the 15th time, the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs said.
During his stay, he is scheduled to meet Ma, National Security Council
Secretary-General Jason Yuan (袁健生) and Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lin
(林永樂), the ministry said.
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