``We are merely stating the current situation,'' Taiwan's top mainland policymaker Su Chi told mediapersons after a meeting with Richard Bush, head of the organisation that handles Washington's unofficial ties with Taipei.

``Our mainland policy remains unchanged, our goal of pursuing future democratic union with China remains unchanged,'' Su said.

Foreign Minister Hu said Taipei had not set out to damage an already tense relationship with China and that it did not want to aggravate frictions in US-China ties, which worsened after NATO's May bombing of Beijing's embassy in Yugoslavia.

``We have no intention of hurting relations between the United States and Chinese Communists when their ties are at a low point, nor do we want to damage our interaction with the United States,'' Hu said.

Officials reiterated that Taiwan was notseeking outright independence -- something that Communist China suspects and promises to prevent with a military assault.