DATE=7/15/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-251791
TITLE=CHINA / TAIWAN / L-O
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: CHINA'S MILITARY HAS REITERATED A LONGSTANDING THREAT TO
USE FORCE AGAINST TAIWAN IF THE ISLAND, WHICH BEIJING CONSIDERS A
WAYWARD PROVINCE, DECLARES ITS INDEPENDENCE. V-O-A CORRESPONDENT
ROGER WILKISON REPORTS THE HARSH WARNING WAS FOLLOWED BY AN
ANNOUNCEMENT THAT CHINA HAS DEVELOPED THE TECHNOLOGY TO MAKE THE
NEUTRON BOMB IN WHAT DIPLOMATS SEE AS A WARNING TO TAIWAN.
TEXT: AN ANGRY COMMENTARY IN THE MILITARY NEWSPAPER "LIBERATION
ARMY DAILY" -- SAYING CHINA'S ARMED FORCES ARE READY TO ATTACK
TAIWAN TO UPHOLD BEIJING'S CLAIM TO THE ISLAND -- WAS PUBLISHED
SIMULTANEOUSLY BY OTHER CHINESE NEWSPAPERS. ALSO GIVEN PROMINENT
DISPLAY IN THURSDAY'S EDITIONS OF STATE-OWNED NEWSPAPERS WERE
REMARKS BY DEFENSE MINISTER CHI HAOTIAN THAT THE MILITARY WILL
SMASH ANY ATTEMPTS TO SEPARATE TAIWAN FROM CHINA.
THE CAUSE OF BEIJING'S FURY IS TAIWANESE PRESIDENT LEE TENG-HUI'S
STATEMENT LAST SATURDAY SUGGESTING THAT CHINA AND TAIWAN ARE
SEPARATE COUNTRIES INSTEAD OF TWO POLITICAL ENTITIES UNDER THE
UMBRELLA OF ONE CHINA.
THE AGGRESSIVE TONE OF THE MILITARY'S WARNING WAS FOLLOWED BY A
REMINDER OF CHINA'S NUCLEAR PROWESS WHEN THE STATE COUNCIL
--CHINA'S CABINET -- ISSUED A REPORT SAYING BEIJING HAS MASTERED
NEUTRON BOMB TECHNOLOGY.
THE REPORT DID NOT SAY WHEN CHINA DEVELOPED SUCH TECHNOLOGY OR
EVEN IF IT HAS ACTUALLY PRODUCED A NEUTRON BOMB.
CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESWOMAN ZHANG QIYUE SAID SHE COULD
NOT COMMENT ON WHETHER CHINA POSSESSES A NEUTRON BOMB. SHE ALSO
DEFLECTED QUESTIONS ABOUT A LINK BETWEEN THE NEUTRON BOMB
ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE MILITARY'S WARNING TO TAIWAN. BUT --
SPEAKING THROUGH AN INTERPRETER -- SHE MADE IT CLEAR THAT, AS FAR
AS BEIJING IS CONCERNED, TAIWAN SHOULD NOT EVEN CONTEMPLATE AN
INDEPENDENT FUTURE.
/// INTERPRETER ACTUALITY ///
THE TAIWAN AUTHORITIES AND LEE TENG-HUI SHOULD NOT
UNDERESTIMATE THE FIRM RESOLVE OF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT
IN SAFEGUARDING CHINESE NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY ...
REUNIFICATION OF CHINA IS THE TREND OF THE TIME AND
REFLECTS THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE, AND THE TAIWAN
AUTHORITIES AND LEE TENG-HUI MUST SIZE UP THE SITUATION
AND STOP ALL KINDS OF ACTIVITIES THAT AIM AT SPLITTING
THE MOTHERLAND.
/// END ACTUALITY ///
WESTERN DIPLOMATS IN BEIJING SAY THE PROMINENCE GIVEN THE
MILITARY'S WARNING TO TAIWAN UNDERSCORES THE STRENGTHENED ROLE OF
THE ARMY IN POLICY MAKING SINCE NATO BOMBED THE CHINESE EMBASSY
IN YUGOSLAVIA TWO MONTHS AGO. THEY NOTE THAT CHINA HAS SAID
REPEATEDLY THAT REUNIFICATION WITH TAIWAN IS ITS UPPERMOST
POLITICAL OBJECTIVE. AND THEY SAY BEIJING'S CLAIM TO HAVE
DEVELOPED NEUTRON BOMB TECHNOLOGY REINFORCES ITS DETERMINATION TO
THREATEN TAIWAN -- IF NEED BE -- TO PREVENT THE ISLAND FROM
BACKING AWAY FROM ITS PREVIOUS COMMITMENT TO EVENTUAL
REUNIFICATION. (SIGNED)
NEB/RW/KL
15-Jul-99 6:59 AM EDT (1059 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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