www.chinaview.cn 2009-05-06 08:41:55

BEIJING , May 6 -- Despite the broadening of the strategic agenda, the Barack Obama administration will continue to work with Beijing on three important "holdover" issues from the Bush administration: Taiwan, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Iran.

On Taiwan, Washington is pleased with the trajectory of the question since Ma Ying-jeou's election as "president" in May 2008. Cross-Straits relations have substantially stabilized in all spheres.

Washington is encouraged by these trends and takes heart from the Bush administration's successful navigation and management of the dangerous Chen Shui-bian period.

Chinese President Hu Jintao's important speech on New Year's Eve (December 31, 2008) opened the possibility of adding military confidence and security building measures to the other ongoing areas of exchange. This is to be welcomed.

More broadly, there is growing discussion in Washington of the need to undertake a thorough policy review over Taiwan given the dramatic and positive changes in cross-Straits relations.

On the DPRK, the Obama administration has signaled its intent to remain actively engaged in the Six-Party Talks and to pursue the "complete and verifiable" denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. If Pyongyang were to do so, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for the first time stated in unambiguous terms in her Asia Society speech, the US would be prepared to "normalize bilateral relations, replace the peninsula's longstanding armistice agreements with a permanent peace treaty, and assist in meeting the energy and other economic needs of the Korean people". The recent launch of a long-range Taepodong-2 ballistic missile by the DPRK was opposed by Beijing and Washington both.

Finally, with respect to Iran's nascent nuclear program, the Obama administration has signaled a dual policy. The first track is to continue the UN Security Council permanent 5+1 (Germany) "sextet" to try and negotiate with Teheran to abandon its secret program and come under the International Atomic Energy Agency regime. This track will continue to involve China.

The second track is to possibly initiate direct contact with the government in Teheran to begin the long process of normalization of relations. Obama indicated during the presidential election campaign that his administration would pursue such direct contacts. He has reiterated that since assuming office.

The appointment of seasoned Middle East troubleshooter Dennis Ross as Special Envoy with responsibility of Israel and Palestine, the Persian Gulf, and "Southwest Asia" (codeword for Iran) is a step in this direction. While Teheran has not yet signaled a positive willingness to hold such formal direct contacts with Washington, interestingly Iranian diplomats abroad have been privately contacting their Chinese counterparts to ask how China "prepared" for the rapprochement with the US in the early 1970s.