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DATE=4/23/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-230107
TITLE=CHINA/TAIWAN TALKS (L)
BYLINE=STEPHANIE HO
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO:  REPRESENTATIVES FROM TAIWAN AND CHINA HAVE BROKEN THE ICE
(MADE INITIAL PROGRESS) IN BEIJING, WITH AN AGREEMENT (THURSDAY) 
TO HOLD FUTURE HIGH-LEVEL TALKS.  CORRESPONDENT STEPHANIE HO 
REPORTS, THE ONE-DAY MEETING WAS THE FIRST BETWEEN THE TWO 
IDEOLOGICAL FOES IN NEARLY THREE YEARS.
TEXT:  THE NEGOTIATORS ARE FROM TAIWAN'S SEMI-OFFICIAL "STRAITS 
EXCHANGE FOUNDATION" AND CHINA'S "ASSOCIATION FOR RELATIONS 
ACROSS THE TAIWAN STRAIT".
ONE DAY OF TALKS IN BEIJING WAS ALL IT TOOK FOR THE TWO SIDES TO 
AGREE TO HOLD A HIGH-LEVEL MEETING SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE, 
ALTHOUGH NO SPECIFIC DATE WAS PROPOSED.
CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN ZHU BANGZAO SAID NOW IS A GOOD
TIME TO RESUME CROSS-STRAITS TALKS.
             // ZHU AND TRANSLATOR ACT // (CHINESE) 
         TIME IS RIPE FOR FORMAL TALKS ACROSS THE STRAITS.  WE 
         CAN TAKE A STEP BY STEP MEASURE.  FIRST, WE CAN DISCUSS 
         THE ENDING OF THE STATE OF HOSTILITY BETWEEN THE TWO 
         SIDES OF THE TAIWAN STRAITS.   AND WE CAN FIRST TALK 
         ABOUT IN WHAT NAME, FORM AND PLACE AND PROCEDURE THE 
         TALKS WILL PROCEED. 
                          // END ACT //
BOTH TAIPEI AND BEIJING ARE UNDER INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE TO SHOW 
WILLINGNESS TO EASE CROSS-STRAITS CONFRONTATION.
ANALYSTS SAY THIS MEETING REPRESENTS A GOOD BEGINNING.  BUT, 
CHINA'S OFFICIAL XINHUA NEWS AGENCY SHOWED THERE MAY STILL BE  
DIFFERING OPINIONS BY BLASTING TAIWAN FOR HAVING POLITICAL 
MOTIVES FOR THE NEGOTIATIONS.
THE NATIONALIST GOVERNMENT FLED TO TAIWAN AFTER LOSING A CIVIL 
WAR TO THE COMMUNISTS IN 1949.  SINCE THEN, CROSS-STRAITS 
TENSIONS HAVE VARIED -- AS EACH GOVERNMENT CLAIMS TO RULE CHINA.
IN THE EARLY 1990'S, RELATIONS APPEARED TO BE WARMING, AS 
NEGOTIATORS FROM BOTH SIDES HELD WATERSHED MEETINGS.  BUT, IN 
1995, CHINA WAS ANGERED BY A PRIVATE VISIT BY THE TAIWANESE 
PRESIDENT TO THE UNITED STATES.  AFTER THAT, CHINA HALTED TALKS 
WITH TAIWAN, AND HELD EIGHT-MONTHS OF WAR GAMES IN WATERS OFF THE
ISLAND.   (SIGNED)
NEB/HO/RAE
23-Apr-98 7:46 AM EDT (1146 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.