LEAD: Taiwan leader renews call for resumption of talks with China

Asian Political News, Feb 7, 2005

TAIPEI, Feb. 2 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING WITH COMMENTS BY CHINESE OFFICIALS)

President Chen Shui-bian on Wednesday renewed his call for the resumption of cross-strait talks to ease tensions between Taiwan and China.

Chen suggested that both sides tolerate differences in opinion, pursue areas of mutual interest, and promote ''reconciliation, dialogue and negotiation'' so as to ''boost mutual trust.''

Describing the cross-strait stalemate as ''a drama that will someday end with the curtain dropping,'' Chen also called on the leaders of both sides to seize the opportunity to ''develop new creativity and ways of thinking'' to face the future together.

The president issued the call at a memorial service for Koo Chen-fu, the island's top negotiator with China before he died last month at the age of 87.

The service was attended by a number of political and business leaders from home and abroad.

Koo's mainland counterpart, Wang Daohan, chairman of China's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits, who is 89, was too weak to make the trip.

Sun Yafu, vice president of association and concurrently assistant director of the governing State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, and the association's Secretary General Li Yafei came as Wang's representatives.

The two deputies, the highest-level Chinese officials to visit Taiwan in six years, arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday but turned down an offer to take part in the memorial service.

Instead, they joined thousands of visitors in paying tribute to Koo shortly after the service wrapped up.

Beijing has downplayed the visit, stressing that it is personal and will not involve any political contacts with the self-ruled island, which China considers to be an inseparable part of its territory that should be reunited by force, if necessary.

Before concluding the whirlwind trip and returning home, Su told reporters at Taipei's airport that they have taken note of Chen's invitation.

''We will report to Wang about what we have seen and felt here in Taiwan,'' he said. ''We hope the cross-strait relations will move in a good direction.''

Government officials in charge of mainland affairs confirmed later in the day that they had met with Sun and Li in private for ''quite a while'' and that both sides discussed some issues, including different interpretations of the ''one-China'' principle and a proposed visit by Wang to Taiwan.

''We have let them know that the door is widely open to Wang, and Taiwan is willing to receive Wang anytime and to provide any help needed,'' an official said.

Koo had served since 1991 as chairman of Taiwan's quasi-official Strait Exchange Foundation, which has spearheaded the delicate task of direct and unofficial talks with China.

In 1993, Koo and Wang shelved politically controversial issues and held a meeting in Singapore, marking an unprecedented breakthrough in cross-strait relations.

The Singapore meeting led to several rounds of negotiations, including a Shanghai meeting in October 1998, at which time Koo met with then Chinese President Jiang Zemin.

However, bilateral dialogue was suspended in mid-1999, when then Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui enraged China by defining cross-strait ties as a ''special state-to-state'' relationship. Consequently, Wang's visit to Taipei has yet to materialize.

Analysts have said if Wang can visit Taiwan again, it will mark a new start for both sides to contact each other after a long break.

Koo, a Japan-educated business tycoon who established the Koo Business Group, died of cancer on Jan. 3. Although Koo was one of Taiwan's most influential political figures, he never held public office. He was relied upon heavily by the previous Nationalist (KMT) government for cross-strait affairs.

Koo was well-versed in Chinese literature, particularly in Chinese opera. He often expressed his views by drawing parallels between some well-known plots of plays and the cross-strait relations.