DATE=7/16/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-251837
TITLE=CHINA / TAIWAN (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: CHINA IS HINTING AT FLEXIBILITY AMID ITS THREATS AND
INVECTIVE AGAINST TAIWAN -- AFTER THE ISLAND REDEFINED
CROSS-STRAIT RELATIONS AS STATE-TO-STATE TIES. V-O-A
CORRESPONDENT ROGER WILKISON REPORTS BEIJING IS STILL KEEPING UP
THE PRESSURE ON TAIWAN-- WHICH IT CONSIDERS A RENEGADE PROVINCE
-- TO CLARIFY ITS NEW POLICY, BUT IN A LESS AGGRESSIVE WAY THAN
IN RECENT DAYS.
TEXT: THURSDAY'S EDITIONS OF CHINESE NEWSPAPERS FEATURED A
THREAT BY BEIJING'S MILITARY TO TAKE THE ISLAND BY FORCE IF IT
DECLARES INDEPENDENCE. THAT WAS FOLLOWED BY A GOVERNMENT
ANNOUNCEMENT THAT CHINA HAS DEVELOPED THE TECHNOLOGY TO MAKE THE
NEUTRON BOMB.
BUT ON FRIDAY, BEIJING APPEARED TO BE EASING ITS SABRE-RATTLING.
THERE WERE NO VITRIOLIC COMMENTARIES IN THE STATE-CONTROLLED NEWS
MEDIA. AND THE ENGLISH-LANGUAGE CHINA DAILY SEEMED TO OFFER A WAY
OUT OF THE LATEST DISPUTE ACROSS THE TAIWAN STRAIT.
THE NEWSPAPER QUOTES ZHANG KEHUI-- A SENIOR ADVISER TO BEIJING'S
MAIN ORGANIZATION FOR TAIWAN AFFAIRS-- AS SAYING A PLANNED
OCTOBER VISIT TO THE ISLAND BY THE GROUP'S HEAD WILL BE
IMPOSSIBLE UNLESS TAIWAN EXPLAINS ITS POLICY SHIFT. MR. ZHANG'S
REMARKS APPEAR TO BE A HINT THAT BEIJING IS PREPARED TO LISTEN TO
TAIPEI'S OFFER TO CLARIFY ITS NEW STANCE.
THE LATEST CROSS-STRAIT ROW WAS SET OFF LAST SATURDAY BY
TAIWANESE PRESIDENT LEE TENG-HUI, WHO SAID CHINA MUST NOW DEAL
WITH THE ISLAND ON AN EQUAL STATE-TO-STATE BASIS. BOTH CHINA AND
TAIWAN HAVE CLAIMED FOR YEARS TO BE PART OF ONE INDIVISIBLE CHINA
-- A CONCEPT THAT HAS KEPT BEIJING FROM ATTACKING THE ISLAND.
STILL, MR. LEE PLEDGED NO CHANGE IN TAIWAN'S PURSUIT OF EVENTUAL
REUNIFICATION, ALTHOUGH HE INSISTED THAT GOAL CAN ONLY BE
ACHIEVED WHEN CHINA BECOMES A DEMOCRACY.
TAIWAN HAS INVITED WANG DAOHAN --THE HEAD OF BEIJING'S
ASSOCIATION FOR RELATIONS ACROSS THE TAIWAN STRAITS AND AN
INFLUENTIAL ADVISER TO PRESIDENT JIANG ZEMIN -- TO VISIT THE
ISLAND IN OCTOBER. TAIWAN HOPES THAT VISIT WOULD LEAD TO A
RESUMPTION OF CROSS-STRAIT TALKS THAT WERE SUSPENDED IN 1995.
MR. WANG'S TAIWANESE COUNTERPART --KOO CHEN-FU-- MADE A SIMILAR
TRIP TO THE MAINLAND LAST YEAR TO BREAK THE ICE BETWEEN BEIJING
AND TAIPEI.
/// REST OPT///
IN TAIWAN, FEARS THAT THE ISLAND'S ROW WITH CHINA WILL ESCALATE
INTO CONFLICT SPARKED A PLUNGE IN THE STOCK MARKET. THE
SIX-POINT-FOUR PERCENT DROP WAS THE BIGGEST SINGLE-DAY DECLINE IN
NINE YEARS. AND A POWERFUL POLITICIAN --JAMES SOONG-- BROKE
RANKS WITH THE RULING NATIONALIST PARTY BY ANNOUNCING HIS
INDEPENDENT CANDIDACY TO SUCCEED MR. LEE IN ELECTIONS NEXT
MARCH. IN A SWIPE AT MR. LEE, MR. SOONG SAID TAIWAN NEEDS A
LEADER WHO IS COURAGEOUS BUT NOT RECKLESS. (SIGNED)
NEB/RW/JO
16-Jul-99 5:20 AM EDT (0920 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
