Lai made the remarks when she received Eliot Engel, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere.

She noted that the government has launched a series of measures to help contribute to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, including direct weekend cross-strait charter flights and relaxed restrictions on visits by Chinese tourists.

The government has also begun to deregulate laws to help normalize cross-strait trade exchanges, she added.

“Both sides of the Taiwan Strait hope to resolve major issues of concern through continued dialogue and consultations,” she continued.

The government also attaches great importance to the cooperative relations with the United States, and a better cross-strait relationship will be in the interests of the United States, Lai said.

For his part, Engel said he has always supported the Republic of China as an independent, sovereign state, and he hoped the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait will resolve cross-strait issues in a pragmatic manner.

In related news, Lai will depart for Los Angeles Thursday, Aug. 21 on her first overseas visit since assuming her post May 20, where she will attend the annual conference of the Taiwan Benevolent Association of America Aug. 23 and give a report on the development of cross strait relations.

She will then travel to Washington, D.C. to exchange views with officials and academics on the cross-strait situation before returning to Taiwan Aug. 30.

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