DATE=3/17/2000 TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT TITLE=TAIWAN ELECTION-CHINA NUMBER=5-45664 BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON DATELINE=TAIPEI CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: As Taiwanese head for the polls Saturday to select a new president, the huge shadow cast by China and its belligerent rhetoric toward the island hovers over the election. VOA correspondent Roger Wilkison reports Beijing's warning to Taiwanese not to elect a candidate China considers unsuitable has become a central issue in the too-close-to-call three-man race. TEXT: All three of the main contenders say they basically want to maintain the status quo. Taiwan today enjoys de facto independence, while keeping Beijing at bay by giving lip service to eventual reunification with China. But Beijing has now said indefinite postponement of reunification is no longer acceptable and that it will not tolerate the election of Chen Shui-bian, whom it views as an advocate of formal independence. Beijing stepped up its threats to the island after Taiwanese media reports indicated that Mr. Chen, of the Democratic Progressive Party -- or DPP -- has pulled ahead of his rivals in recent days after receiving endorsements from several key figures on the island. Andrew Yang, Secretary General of the Chinese Council of Advanced Policy Studies in Taipei, says Mr. Chen's growing popularity prompted Beijing's warning. /////YANG ACTUALITY///// Beforehand, nobody predicted that the D-P-P was going to win the election, but there's a great chance for them to take over the government now. So I think it's also a great -- not shock -- but surprise for Beijing, because they're not ready for that. /////END ACTUALITY///// Mr. Chen's foreign policy advisor, Parris Chang, says his candidate has backed away from his pro- independence position. /////CHANG ACTUALITY///// We have already announced to the whole world that we are not going to declare independence, as such, because we consider Taiwan is already an independent country. /////END ACTUALITY///// It is just that kind of remark that makes Beijing furious. As far as China is concerned, Taiwan is a wayward province that must be reunited with the mainland. China says that -- despite Mr. Chen's backtracking on his pro-independence stand -- his party's platform still proposes that the island should go its own way. Analyst Andrew Yang says that, if Mr. Chen is elected Saturday, he expects the United States to urge the D-P-P to drop the offending pro- independence clause in its platform. /////YANG ACTUALITY///// You have to force Taipei to give up this independence clause to make Beijing more comfortable in terms of mending cross-strait relations. /////END ACTUALITY///// But Mr. Yang admits that will be hard to do because Taiwan independence is dear to the heart of D-P-P supporters, who are overwhelmingly native Taiwanese and want nothing to do with reunification. Mr. Chen's rivals -- Vice-President Lien Chan of the ruling Nationalist Party and former Nationalist stalwart James Soong, now running as an independent -- have been vociferous in their criticism of Mr. Chen, calling him dangerous and irresponsible. One of Mr. Soong's top aides, Congressman Chou Shi-wei supports maintenance of the status quo. /////CHOU ACTUALITY///// We're very clear that we don't want any rush decision about cross-strait relations. We don't want independence right away. Also we don't want unification right away. /////END ACTUALITY///// Mr. Soong has proposed that China and Taiwan sign a 30-year peace agreement. But Beijing says 30 years is too long to wait for full reunification. Vice-President Lien maintains the Nationalist Party line that the Republic of China on Taiwan and the People's Republic of China have been ruled separately since 1949 and are two separate entities. In a speech this week, he set out his blueprint for maintaining peace with China. /////LIEN ACTUALITY///// To ensure peace in the Taiwan Strait, I propose that both sides work toward a peace agreement. I also suggested the creation of a peace zone in the Taiwan Strait and a mechanism for mutual trust between the military of both sides, including a hotline between the leaders of each government. /////END ACTUALITY///// But Beijing says it will not deal with Mr. Lien until he renounces outgoing President Lee Teng-hui's statement last year that China and Taiwan have special state-to-state relations. China refuses to recognize Taiwan as a political equal. Whoever wins the election Saturday will have to deal with a government in Beijing that has become more impatient about completing what it sees as the sacred goal of reunification. But polls show that nearly 80 per cent of Taiwanese reject Beijing's formula for reunification, whereby Taiwan would enjoy considerable autonomy but still be under the thumb of the People's Republic of China. (SIGNED) NEB/RW/FC/PLM 17-Mar-2000 03:53 AM EDT (17-Mar-2000 0853 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .
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