Taiwan's chief representative in the United States lauded Westinghouse Electric's nuclear power agreement with the Chinese during a private Downtown appearance yesterday, but David Tawei Lee also expressed doubts that military and political tension between Taiwan and China could be erased in his lifetime.

"Maybe we should leave this issue for the next generation to solve," he said.

The tension dates to 1949, when Communists led by Mao Zedong gained control of mainland China and their rivals, the Kuomintang, fled east to the island of Taiwan. The Republic of Taiwan is still not recognized as a sovereign nation by mainland China.

"The picture is a complete deadlock, I'm sorry to say," Mr. Lee said during a Duquesne Club talk sponsored by the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh.

Since the United States also does not recognize Taiwan independence, Mr. Lee can not hold the title of "ambassador" to the United States. (His official designation is Representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States).

He and the Chinese ambassador do not speak, he said, but they sometimes see each other socially in Washington, D.C.

"He has a strong bodyguard," Mr. Lee said, jokingly. "I don't have any bodyguards."

Financially, though, Taiwan has a pragmatic relationship with the burgeoning Chinese economy, he said, with a "tremendous investment" occurring over the last 15 years. He acknowledged that the same is happening in the United States, with Westinghouse's recent agreement to build four nuclear power plants in China being one of many examples of a promising U.S.-Sino business relationship. The Westinghouse deal, he said, is a "very good development" that will create American jobs.

What Taiwan wants from the United States, he said, are better communication channels (its top leaders are still not allowed to make official visits to Washington), a vigilance in regards to Taiwan's interests and the promotion of a U.S.-Taiwan free-trade agreement.

He sounded optimistic about the recent Democratic takeover of Congress, saying that new House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has visited Taiwan and has expressed concern about China's human rights violations.

"We certainly are happy to see her in a key position," he said.