CONCISE:Washington believes that clear, direct and consistent communication supports the development of relations across the Taiwan Strait, a US official said

Taipei Times
Date: Jul 24, 2016
By: Staff writer, with CNA, WASHINGTON

The US on Thursday urged Taiwan and China to keep channels of communication open after President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) expressed hope in a Washington Post interview that China would show more flexibility in dealing with cross-strait relations.

“The United States has a deep and abiding interest in cross-strait stability. We welcome steps by both sides of the Taiwan Strait to reduce tensions and improve cross-strait relations,” US Department of State East Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau spokesperson Grace Choi said.

“We urge both sides to keep channels of communication open,” Choi said via e-mail.

In her interview with the Post, Tsai said that she hopes Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) would show more flexibility in dealing with cross-strait relations and “can appreciate that Taiwan is a democratic society in which the leader has to follow the will of the people.”     [FULL  STORY]