DATE=10/14/1999 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT TITLE=TAIWAN / CHINA (L-ONLY) NUMBER=2-255054 BYLINE=DERRICK MCEHLERON DATELINE=TAIPEI CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: Taiwan's top cross-strait negotiator has offered to visit Beijing to help break the bilateral deadlock and is encouraging his Chinese counterpart to visit the island. Derrick McEhleron has more from Taipei. TEXT: Taiwanese statesman Koo Chen Fu is offering to return to China -- exactly one year after his historic visit -- in a bid to help break the current impasse in relations between China and Taiwan. Mr. Koo is chairman of Taiwan's semi-official Straits Exchange Program. He says he also is encouraging his mainland counterpart, Wang Dao Han, to visit Taiwan. Mr. Wang was scheduled to visit the island this fall. That trip was called off in July, after Taiwan President Lee Teng Hui insisted China and Taiwan negotiate their differences as two equal states. President Lee's remarks provoked China to respond with a barrage of verbal attacks, demanding the statement be revoked. China contends Taiwan is merely a renegade province of China. Chinese officials have said -- unless Taiwan changes its position -- Mr. Wang's visit would be called off. Mr. Koo, Thursday, held to the Taiwanese position the state-to-state statement cannot be retracted because it reflects current cross-straight relations. It was one year ago the two political rivals met at the Peace Hotel in Shanghai -- the first high- level bilateral meeting since China fired missiles into the Taiwan Strait in 1996. The talks failed to yield a breakthrough, but both sides agreed to meet again. Historically, Beijing has refused to rule out the use of force to bring Taiwan under Beijing's control. (signed) NEB/DM/GC / wd 15-Oct-1999 01:20 AM EDT (15-Oct-1999 0520 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .
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