LOS ANGELES, March 22 (Reuters) - Taiwan President-elect Chen Shui-bian supports World Trade Organization membership for China despite his island's friction with the mainland, the Los Angeles Times reported on Wednesday.
"We would welcome the normalization of U.S.-China trade relations, just like we hope the cross-strait relations (between China and Taiwan) can be normalized," Chen told the Times. "We look forward to both the People's Republic of China's and Taiwan's accession to the WTO."
Chen, whose pro-independence stance has angered China, was elected president of Taiwan on Saturday.
In New Delhi, where President Bill Clinton was traveling, White House officials were delighted by the interview, saying it should help them to persuade the U.S. Congress to grant China Permanent Normal Trade Relations.
"This is good news," said a White House official who drew the interview to the attention of U.S. reporters traveling with Clinton to South Asia. "This will help us on the Hill."
Legislation to give China Permanent Normal Trade Relations faces a close vote in the House of Representatives. It is opposed by labor.
Not surprisingly, Chen said that peace with China would be his "top priority" as president. Chen said that his goals could be achieved "only with peace in the strait."
But he also made it clear that Taiwan would not knuckle under to China, which considers the island a rebel province.
"What we mean by peace is a very firm and free, autonomous peace," he said. "We don't want the peace that is weak or peace that comes under pressure.":
