WASHINGTON—Taiwan’s new top diplomat in the United States says his government is working to repair ties with Washington that he feels were damaged by eight years of anti-China policies favored by the island’s previous president.

Jason Yuan said in an interview with The Associated Press that the relationship between Taipei and Washington during former President Chen Shui-bian’s administration “went down to the lowest point.”

“Country to country, just like people to people, you have to find something in common; you cannot just selfishly think about yourself,” Yuan said. New President Ma Ying-jeou, who took power in May and has sought to reverse Chen’s policy of emphasizing Taiwan’s political separateness from China, believes a “priority of his leadership is how to restore the relationship between Taiwan and the U.S.,” the island’s most important ally and largest arms supplier, Yuan said.

Chen, now in jail on graft allegations, rejected China’s claim that Taiwan is part of its territory and supported independence for the island of 23 million people. This has infuriated Beijing, which vows to attack should the self-governing island ever formalize its de facto independence. Chen’s pro-independence policies also created tensions with the United States, which needs help from China, a veto-holding member of the U.N. Security Council, to deal with a host of diplomatic initiatives around the world.

China has stationed hundreds of missiles opposite Taiwan, and any dispute between China and Taiwan could ensnare the United States. In 2002, President George W. Bush pledged to “help Taiwan defend itself if provoked.”

Jonathan Pollack, professor of Asian studies at the Naval War College, said: “The relationship between the United States and Taiwan eroded significantly while Chen was in power. Looking back at those eight years, it’s very, very hard to point to major accomplishments. What you saw was a relationship often fraught with tension and very difficult communications, at best, between the Bush administration and Chen’s government.”

Chen, who has refused solid food since he was ordered jailed Nov. 12, denies allegations of money laundering and embezzling money from a presidential fund and says Ma’s government is persecuting him for his anti-China views.

Yuan said Ma’s administration recognizes that an improved relationship with China “is a plus for us to strengthen the U.S.-Taiwan relationship.”

“You don’t want to be a troublemaker; you want to be a peacemaker,” Yuan said. “If we improve our relationship with China, it’s easier for us to strengthen our relationship with the United States.”

China has responded to Ma’s diplomatic outreach by finalizing long-awaited agreements on liberalized trade, travel and tourism arrangements.

The Obama administration, which takes office Jan. 20, probably will continue the Bush administration’s efforts to work with and encourage China.

Yuan also spoke of the U.S. announcement in October of a $6.5 billion arms sale to Taiwan. Beijing was furious about the arms package, which includes guided missiles and attack helicopters. The United States, he said, wants “to tell us, ’the door is open now, and (because) we give this first sale of $6.5 billion doesn’t mean we’re limiting other sales; and if you need some other equipment, let us know.”’

The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, a congressional advisory panel, said in its annual report to lawmakers last week that tensions remain, despite recently improved China-Taiwan ties. “The status of Taiwan creates a potentially dangerous situation that risks armed conflict if the relationship and its inherent tensions are not managed carefully by both sides,” the panel said.