DATE=4/8/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CHINA-TAIWAN (L ONLY)
NUMBER=2-261072
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: China has accused Taiwan's Vice-President-
elect of being a pro-independence extremist and is
warning the island's new leaders against any move
toward formal independence. VOA correspondent Roger
Wilkison reports the attack on Annette Lu signals an
end to Beijing's moderate wait-and-see attitude toward
the incoming administration of President-elect Chen
Shui-bian, who is due to take office in six weeks.
TEXT: The attack on Taiwan's new leadership was
launched by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State
Council, China's cabinet. A statement issued late
Friday and published in the state-owned media Saturday
describes Vice-President-elect Annette Lu as "the scum
of the nation", an extremist and a typical Taiwan
independence element.
China has been wary of Ms. Lu -a Harvard-educated
lawyer- because of her pro-independence feelings.
But, until now, it had not singled her out for any
attack because -like President-elect Chen- she backed
away from that position during the recent election
campaign. China's restrained attitude toward the
nominally pro-independence victors of the election has
been restrained, and that has won it praise in
Washington.
What appears to have angered Beijing was an interview
Ms. Lu gave Hong Kong news media in which she is
quoted as saying that history has made China and
Taiwan distant relatives despite their geographical
proximity. China resents any assertion of Taiwan's
distinct identity. Though China's ruling Communists
have never governed Taiwan, Beijing regards the island
as a wayward province that must be brought under its
control.
Ms. Lu also appears to have angered China by her harsh
criticisms of its pre-election threats against the
island and by her advocacy of measures to counter
Beijing's attempts to isolate Taiwan diplomatically.
A commentary run in major newspapers by the state-
owned Xinhua news agency Saturday accuses Ms. Lu of
being an incurable independence agitator who incites
Taiwanese to hate their compatriots on the mainland.
China also had words of warning for Mr. Chen. The
Liberation Army Daily -the military newspaper- demands
that he embrace Beijing's one-China policy -which
considers Taiwan as part of China- as a pre-condition
for any cross-strait dialogue. Mr. Chen has said he
is willing to talk with Beijing about the one-China
policy, but he has so far refused to buy Beijing's
line that Taiwan is part of China. (signed)
NEB/rw/plm
08-Apr-2000 06:10 AM EDT (08-Apr-2000 1010 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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