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SLUG: 2-285824 CQ China Taiwan (L-O)
DATE: NOTE NUMBER: |
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DATE=1-30-02 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-285824 TITLE=CQ CHINA / TAIWAN (L-O) BYLINE=JIM RANDLE DATELINE=BEIJING CONTENT= VOICED AT: ///// DROPS MAY FROM TEXT GRAF 4 OF CR2-285813. ///// INTRO: China says when it invited members of Taiwan's ruling pro-independence party to the mainland last week - the offer did not include President Chen Shui-bian. V-O-A's Jim Randle in Beijing has more on the story. TEXT: A spokesman for China's Taiwan Affairs office, Zhang Mingqing, says Taiwan's President Chen Shui-bian and Vice President Annette Lu can not come to China unless they renounce their pro-independence stance. /// ZHANG ACT IN CHINESE, ESTAB, FADE UNDER /// Mr. Zhang says Taiwan's President Chen is part of the "small minority" of members of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party who are "separatists," and they can't come to China till they accept that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China. This has been China's central condition for talks on future reunification - one that has been repeatedly refused. The deadlock became more entrenched in 2000, when the D-P-P was elected to power on a platform that allowed for the possibility of full independence for Taiwan. China responded by refusing to acknowledge D-P-P- leaders altogether - that is until last week when Chinese Vice Premier Qian Qichen issued an unprecedented invitation to members of Taiwan's ruling party to come to the mainland for talks. The invitation is being seen as an opportunity to break the political deadlock - despite the fact that China has now made clear it is still not willing to deal directly with President Chen. Analysts suggest China is being forced to re-examine its Taiwan policy in the light of new economic realities. Not only is Taiwan one of the biggest investors in China, but both sides will be forced to broaden this relationship now that China is a new member of the World Trade Organization. China and Taiwan have been ruled separately since splitting during civil war in 1949. (SIGNED) NEB/HK/JR/JO/rae |
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