DATE=4/14/99
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-43107
TITLE=CHINA / TAIWAN
BYLINE=STEPHANIE HO
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: AT THE HEART OF RELATIONS BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND
CHINA IS THE ISSUE OF TAIWAN -- AN ISLAND BEIJING REGARDS AS A
RENEGADE PROVINCE. V-O-A'S STEPHANIE HO REPORTS WASHINGTON IS
STILL SEEN AS TAIWAN'S BIGGEST PROTECTOR -- EVEN THOUGH IN 1979,
WASHINGTON SWITCHED FORMAL RECOGNITION FROM THE NATIONALIST
GOVERNMENT IN TAIPEI TO THE COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT IN BEIJING.
TEXT: THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAS REPEATEDLY EMPHASIZED THAT
TAIWAN IS THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE IN ITS RELATIONS WITH THE UNITED
STATES.
DURING HIS RECENT NEWS CONFERENCE WITH PRESIDENT CLINTON IN
WASHINGTON, CHINESE PREMIER ZHU RONGJI SAID BEIJING HOPES FOR A
PEACEFUL REUNIFICATION WITH THE ISLAND, BUT WILL NOT RENOUNCE
THE USE OF FORCE.
// ZHU AND INTERPRETER ACT //
BECAUSE IF WE WERE TO MAKE SUCH A PLEDGE, MAKE SUCH AN
UNDERTAKING, THEN I'M AFRAID TAIWAN WOULD BE IN A PERPETUAL
STATE OF SEPARATION FROM THE MOTHERLAND.
// END ACT //
MR. ZHU COMPARED CHINA'S CLAIM TO TAIWAN TO PRESIDENT ABRAHAM
LINCOLN'S STANCE DURING THE U-S CIVIL WAR, WHEN THE SOUTHERN
UNITED STATES WAS FORCEFULLY PREVENTED FROM SECEDING.
// ZHU AND INTERPRETER ACT //
ABRAHAM LINCOLN, IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THE UNITY OF THE UNITED
STATES AND OPPOSE INDEPENDENCE OF THE SOUTHERN PART, HE HAD
RESORTED TO USE OF FORCE AND FOUGHT A WAR FOR THAT, FOR
MAINTAINING THE UNITY OF THE UNITED STATES.
// END ACT //
PRESIDENT CLINTON COUNTERED, SAYING THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE
U-S CIVIL WAR WERE DIFFERENT THAN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHINA
AND TAIWAN. HE RE-AFFIRMED THE U-S POLICY OF ONLY RECOGNIZING
ONE-CHINA, WITH ITS GOVERNMENT IN BEIJING, BUT ADDED THAT THREATS
OF FORCE FROM CHINA ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE.
// CLINTON ACT //
WE BELIEVE THAT THIS MATTER SHOULD BE RESOLVED PEACEFULLY.
// END ACT //
CHINA'S THREAT TO USE FORCE TO TAKE BACK TAIWAN IS AN ISSUE THAT
IS TAKING ON NEW RELEVANCE, THOUGH, WITH REPORTS THAT THE CHINESE
MILITARY IS INCREASING THE NUMBER OF BALLISTIC MISSILES IN FUJIAN
PROVINCE ACROSS THE WATER FROM THE ISLAND. CHINESE OFFICIALS
REPEATEDLY DENY THESE REPORTS.
AT THE SAME TIME, CHINA HAS SAID A U-S-JAPANESE PROPOSAL FOR A
THEATER MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM, OR T-M-D, SHOULD NOT INCLUDE
TAIWAN BECAUSE BEIJING CONSIDERS THE ISLAND PART OF CHINESE
TERRITORY.
PROFESSOR DAVID SHAMBAUGH, DIRECTOR OF THE CHINA POLICY PROGRAM
AT GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, SAYS A T-M-D SYSTEM THAT
INCLUDES TAIWAN, COULD NOT ONLY SPARK A CROSS-STRAIT ARMS RACE,
BUT WOULD UNDERMINE WASHINGTON'S RELATIONSHIP WITH BEIJING.
// SHAMBAUGH ACT //
WHY? BECAUSE IT WOULD CONSTITUTE AGAIN THE DE-FACTO U-S-TAIWAN
MILITARY ALLIANCE. IT WOULD CONSTITUTE AMERICAN EXTENDED
DETERRENCE OVER TAIWAN.
// END ACT //
PROFESSOR SHAMBAUGH ADDS THAT IN ANY CASE, HE BELIEVES THAT FOR
TECHNICAL REASONS T-M-D CANNOT SHIELD THE ISLAND AGAINST CHINESE
MISSILES.
// SHAMBAUGH ACT //
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT MISSILES THAT HAVE A SIX MINUTE FLIGHT
TIME FROM FUJIAN ACROSS THE STRAIT TO TAIWAN. ALSO, THEY HAVE A
FLAT TRAJECTORY. FOR T-M-D TO WORK, MISSILES HAVE TO GO UP,
ENTER THE LOW ATMOSPHERE AND COME DOWN. THEY CAN BE INTERCEPTED
AT VARIOUS PHASES OF THAT TRAJECTORY. MISSILES FROM FUJIAN
(WOULD) SKIM THE SURFACE OF THE WATER AND IMPACT AT THEIR TARGETS
ON TAIWAN.
// END ACT //
THIS MONTH MARKS THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE TAIWAN RELATIONS ACT
-- WHICH WASHINGTON PUT INTO PLACE AFTER IT SWITCHED RECOGNITION
FROM TAIPEI TO BEIJING. TAIWANESE OFFICIALS SAY THE ACT HAS
HELPED MAINTAIN STABILITY IN THE REGION AND HAS HELPED THE ISLAND
SUSTAIN CONTACT WITH CHINA.
AFTER SEVERAL YEARS OF HIATUS, CROSS-STRAIT TALKS ARE ONCE AGAIN
PICKING UP STEAM. TAIWAN'S TOP NEGOTIATOR, KOO CHEN-FU, WENT TO
BEIJING LAST YEAR. THE TOP CHINESE NEGOTIATOR, WANG DAOHAN, IS
SCHEDULED TO MAKE A RECIPROCAL VISIT TO TAIWAN LATER THIS YEAR.
(SIGNED)
NEB/HO/FC/KL
14-Apr-99 8:13 AM EDT (1213 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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