Last week Chinese Vice Premier Qian Qichen said that members of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) would be welcome to visit the PRC.

The comments have led some observers to believe that the PRC is ready to restart a cross-strait dialogue again, even if it is with the independence-minded DPP.

Others have suggested that the remarks were intended primarily for ears in Washington and that the PRC’s hawkish stance towards Taiwan will remain in place.

According to Tsai, it is still to early to tell if the remarks herald an imminent change in the mainland’s approach to Taiwan.

She warned against excessive optimism, but added that there was no need to be pessimistic either.

Tsai said that while the comments have a pragmatic side to them, more time will be needed to see if they are more than just a blip on the screen.

In the meantime, she said, the Chen administration is already in the process of taking a closer look at Qi’s comments.

A response will be forthcoming through appropriate channels, she said.

Tsai refrained from commenting on what the DPP’s reaction will be, saying that she was not in a position to represent the party.

She also played down the suggestion that the PRC’s vice premier was aiming his comments more at Washington than at Taipei.

Tsai pointed out that cross-strait relations are a very complex issue and that either side would have to take the other side into consideration when speaking for the record.

She went on to say that she trusted everybody would be able to judge for themselves who the intended audience of the recent comments was.