DATE=3/16/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CHINA - TAIWAN (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-260240
BYLINE=STEPHANIE MANN
DATELINE=BEIJING
INTERNET=YES
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: China is continuing its pressure on Taiwan
voters not to choose a new president who advocates
independence. As V-O-A's Stephanie Mann reports from
Beijing, leading Chinese specialists on the Taiwan
question say the island's only option is reunification
with the mainland.
TEXT: One of China's top policy makers on the Taiwan
issue, Tang Shubei, says if Taiwan decides to become
independent, China can no longer talk about peaceful
reunification.
Mr. Tang is vice-chairman of the Association for
Relations Across the Taiwan Straits -- the Chinese
government office that was conducting talks with
Taiwan until they were put on hold last year.
Mr. Tang told reporters in Beijing reunification can
not be delayed indefinitely, but he acknowledged it
may take some time.
Mr. Tang said China will have no other choice, if
Taiwan becomes independent in the meantime. He did
not specify what action China would take, but he
repeated Premier Zhu Rongji's comment from a day
earlier, that the Chinese people will use their blood
to protect the territorial integrity of China.
Mr. Tang did not say how China will react if Taiwanese
voters elect opposition candidate Chen Shui-bian in
Saturday's presidential election. He said China will
take a wait-and-see approach.
With less than two days before the election, reports
from Taiwan indicate Mr. Chen is gaining support. His
party has advocated Taiwan's independence, although
Mr. Chen has toned down that position during the
election campaign.
// OPT // Mr. Chen and the other two candidates - Lien
Chan of the Nationalist Party and independent James
Soong - all oppose reuniting with China under terms
demanded by the mainland. But Mr. Lien and Mr. Soong
have never called for Taiwan's independence and are
believed to be preferred by Beijing. // END OPT //
In a recent White Paper on Taiwan, China said it would
resort to force if Taiwan declares independence, if
foreign forces interfere in Taiwan's reunification, or
if Taiwan indefinitely delays negotiations on
reunification.
Thursday, the Chinese government arranged for academic
specialists on the Taiwan issue to meet with
reporters. When asked about China's timetable for
reunification, the academic specialists said that
depends on the outcome of Saturday's election.
They said reunification could take years. But if
Taiwan moves toward independence, the academics
warned, China could shorten its deadline to just a
matter of hours.
At Thursday's regular Foreign Ministry briefing,
spokesman Sun Yuxi said Taiwan's reunification with
the mainland will be achieved at an early date
because, he said, that is the aspiration of people on
both sides of the Taiwan Straits. Mr. Sun also called
on the United States to refrain from doing anything
that would obstruct reunification. (SIGNED)
NEB/SMN/FC/PLM
16-Mar-2000 05:35 AM EDT (16-Mar-2000 1035 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
