DATE=9/2/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CHINA-TAIWAN-US (L ONLY)
NUMBER=2-253364
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT=
INTRO: China says it will not use nuclear weapons
against Taiwan, but warns the island must stop
discussing the idea it is a separate state.
Correspondent Roger Wilkison reports China's foreign
ministry says Beijing and Taipei have nothing to talk
about unless Taiwan discards President Lee Teng-hui's
call for special state-to-state relations with the
mainland.
TEXT: China issued another warning to Taiwan after
the island's ruling Nationalists, meeting Sunday,
placed President Lee's call for statehood in their
party platform. The Nationalists stopped short of
recommending a constitutional amendment on the issue -
- a move China has said would be intolerable.
But Beijing says Mr. Lee's latest move is pushing the
Taiwanese people closer to what the official Xinhua
news agency calls -- the abyss of war.
The Foreign Ministry warned Taiwan (Thursday) not to
follow Mr. Lee down what it described as -- the road
to independence. Beijing has threatened to invade the
island if it declares formal independence.
But spokesman Sun Yuxi -- speaking through an
interpreter -- says China stands by its declared
policy of no first-use of nuclear weapons and would
not use such weapons against Taiwan.
/// INTERPRETER ACTUALITY ///
We will not be the first to use nuclear weapons,
and we will not use nuclear weapons against non-
nuclear weapon countries. We will not use our
nuclear weapons against (our) Taiwan
compatriots.
/// END ACTUALITY ///
Mr. Sun strongly hinted a scheduled visit to Taiwan by
China's top negotiator for cross-strait matters will
be cancelled if the island does not dump its call for
statehood. The Chinese spokesman says there is no
basis for contact between Beijing and Taipei since
Taiwan abandoned the One-China policy, with its goal
of eventual reunification.
/// INTERPRETER ACTUALITY ///
Under (the) One-China policy, we can talk about
anything. But without that, we can not talk
about anything.
/// END ACTUALITY ///
Mr. Sun says Taiwan will be a dominant theme during a
meeting between President Clinton and Chinese
President Jiang Zemin later this month in New Zealand,
during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.
He urged the United States to continue supporting the
one-China policy with concrete actions. Although he
declined to specify those actions, Beijing has long
called for Washington to stop selling defensive
weapons to Taiwan.
The Chinese spokesman says China still wants to join
the World Trade Organization. He says it is up to the
United States and the European Union to restart talks
with China that Beijing froze after NATO bombed the
Chinese embassy last May in Yugoslavia.
/// INTERPRETER ACTUALITY ///
The ball is not on the Chinese side. It is not
in China's court. China hopes that the United
States and Europe will take concrete actions so
as to resume the talks.
/// END ACTUALITY ///
Mr. Sun says an important opportunity was lost for
China's accession to the W-T-O when Premier Zhu Rongji
offered major concessions during a visit to Washington
last April, but was turned down by President Clinton.
Mr. Clinton feared he could not secure Congressional
support for the deal. (SIGNED)
NEB/RW/FC/LTD/RAE
02-Sep-1999 08:06 AM EDT (02-Sep-1999 1206 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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