Taipei, June 15 (CNA) It is important for Taiwan's leader and presidential candidates to be careful what they say and do in the 11 months leading up to the 2008 presidential inauguration, American Institute in Taipei (AIT) Chairman Raymond Burghardt said Friday.
The next president will have an opportunity to make progress in cross-Taiwan Strait relations, said Burghardt, who is in Taiwan for a regular visit during which he is scheduled to meet presidential candidates Frank Hsieh of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party and Ma Ying-jeou of the main opposition Kuomintang.
"The inauguration of the new president in Taiwan in May 2008 will obviously be an important event. And regardless of who wins, it will present an opportunity for some improvement in cross-strait relations and hopefully for progress on some practical matters to the people of Taiwan, " he said in a roundtable meeting with local reporters.
He said the inauguration of the next president will offer a new start and expressed hope that the new leader will take advantage of it.
As Taiwan's media is notorious for its groundless speculation, the former AIT Taipei Office director urged the candidates to be careful with what they say and do and be ready to experience "scrutiny and over-analysis" from the media, adding that as the 2008 election has attracted international attention, "anyone could poison the atmosphere of cross-strait relations."
Regardless of who wins, he said, the U.S. is confident that "Taiwan-U.S. relations will be in good hands on the Taiwan side."