Ex-PRC diplomat sees warm feelings

“In the past, we (China) would never attend any event that you (Taiwan) went to, and we would always try to drive you away first,” Wu Jianmin, former PRC ambassador to France, said.

“Things are different now, as diplomats from both sides of the Taiwan Strait can sit together. How magnificent!” he added. Wu was speaking at a two-day seminar in Taipei titled “60 Years Across the Taiwan Strait,” which was organized by the Taipei-based Pacific Cultural Foundation. He is among a Chinese delegation of heavyweight Taiwan affairs experts and retired diplomats who came to Taiwan to exchange views with their Taiwanese counterparts on issues related to cross-strait relations.

The conference attracted a lot of attention, as it posed a rare occasion for diplomats from China and Taiwan to gather together. Ma Zhengang, former PRC ambassador to the United Kingdom and Yang Jiemian, president of Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, are among the participants. Their Taiwanese counterparts include Hu Wei-jen, former representative to Singapore, Tu Chou-shen, former ambassador to the Vatican and Yang Rung-tsao, former representative to Israel.

Wu, who served as the interpreter for former PRC Chairman Mao Zedong and former PRC Premier Zhou Enlai, praised the seminar for having a very good title, topics and for being held at a good time. He said that bearing in mind the Chinese culture, of which both sides of the Taiwan Strait share the same origin, the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are in fact one family.

Wu also explained that it is the right timing to hold such a seminar, as an unprecedented opportunity has fallen upon the Chinese people, who are facing the greatest global change in 400 years, with the world's center transferring from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.

Under the wide-ranging topics that include foreign affairs, military, economy and culture, opinions and ideas presented by Chinese and Taiwanese scholars at the seminar will no doubt help further improve mutual trust across the Taiwan Strait, he added.

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