Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian says he will make an important policy statement in his National Day address on Oct. 10, aimed at soothing tensions with China. Mr. Chen told a visiting Japanese delegation Monday that his address would be positive and constructive.
He gave no further details, but said he hoped the message would help narrow the gap between Beijing and Taipei.
Mr. Chen has said he wants to revise Taiwan's constitution, a move China has criticized as a dangerous step towards formal independence. The mainland has threatened to use force to crush any moves towards separatism.
Normalization talks between the two sides have been frozen since 1999, when Mr. Chen's predecessor, President Lee Teng-hui, defined bilateral relations as being between two states.
Some information for this report provided by AFP and AP.