On the 29th of April, both the White House and the U.S. State Department declined to offer a direct evaluation of the so-called “five-point consensus” reached in the meeting between Hu Jintao and Lien Chan. However, both urged Beijing to make efforts to communicate directly with President Chen Shui-bian. Scholars based in the U.S. capital expressed that although Lien Chan may have contributed to an easing of cross-strait relations, there is still an urgent need for a meeting between the official leaders on both sides, in order to actually make a significant improvement in relations.