DATE=6/30/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-234769
TITLE=TAIWAN/SUMMIT REACT (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=JAMES MITCHELL
DATELINE=TAIPEI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: OFFICIALS IN TAIWAN SAY NEITHER THE UNITED STATES NOR ITS
ARCH-RIVAL ON THE CHINESE MAINLAND HAVE ANY RIGHT TO NEGOTIATE
OVER ITS FUTURE. JAMES MITCHELL REPORT FROM TAIPEI THAT TAIWAN'S
FOREIGN MINISTRY MADE THE COMMENTS AFTER PRESIDENT CLINTON,
SPEAKING IN SHANGHAI, MADE PUBLIC REFERENCE FOR THE FIRST TIME TO
THE SO-CALLED "THREE NO'S" POLICY ON TAIWAN.
TEXT: FOR TAIWAN, NO NEWS FROM THE SINO-AMERICAN SUMMIT WOULD
HAVE BEEN GOOD NEWS. WAITING ANXIOUSLY TO SEE HOW THE
CLINTON-JIANG TALKS WOULD AFFECT THE ISLAND AND ITS 21-MILLION
PEOPLE, LEADERS HAVE BEEN CALLING ON THE UNITED STATES TO
MAINTAIN THE STATUS QUO WITH REGARD TO TAIPEI-WASHINGTON
RELATIONS.
IN BEIJING, PRESIDENT CLINTON APPEARED TO BE DOING EXACTLY THAT
-- STRESSING THERE WOULD BE NO CHANGE IN U-S POLICY. BUT TO
TAIWANESE EARS, THE TONE CHANGED IN SHANGHAI.
INSTEAD OF THE USUAL WORDING, MR. CLINTON SHOCKED TAIWAN BY
ARTICULATING WHAT IS NOW KNOWN AS THE THREE-NO'S POLICY: NO TO
TAIWAN INDEPENDENCE, NO TO TWO CHINAS, AND NO TO TAIWAN'S ENTRY
INTO ORGANIZATIONS REQUIRING STATEHOOD.
TAIWAN'S FOREIGN MINISTRY RETORTED ANGRILY THE UNITED STATES AND
CHINA HAVE NO BUSINESS MEDDLING IN TAIWAN AFFAIRS. A SPOKESMAN
ADDED THAT UNLESS THE UNITED STATES NEGOTIATES WITH TAIWAN ON THE
TERMS OF THEIR BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP, TAPEI ASSUMES THERE HAS
BEEN NO CHANGE.
OTHER U-S OFFICIALS HAVE REFERRED TO THE THREE-NO'S POLICY
BEFORE, BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IT HAS BEEN EXPRESSED IN THIS
WAY BY PRESIDENT CLINTON.
ANALYSTS IN TAIWAN, SUCH AS ZHEN DUAN-YAO, FROM ZHENGZHI
UNIVERSITY, SAY SPELLING OUT THE POLICY, HAS AN IMPORTANT IMPACT:
/// ZHEN DUAN-YAO ACT ///
I THINK PSYCHOLOGICALLY IT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE FOR TAIWAN.
IN THE PAST, U-S POLICY WAS KIND OF AMBIGUOUS. SO THAT MEANS,
YOU KNOW, TAIWAN STILL HAD FLEXIBILITY AND CHOICE. AND SO, UNDER
THE THREE "NEW" NO POLICY, YOU CAN SEE VERY CLEARLY, I MEAN,
TAIWAN JUST HAS NO CHOICE FOR ITS FOREIGN RELATIONS AND
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS.
/// END ACT ///
OBSERVERS IN TAIWAN SAY WHAT THEY SEE AS A SUBTLE CHANGE IN THE
U-S POSITION COMES AFTER INTENSE PRESSURE BY CHINA, WHICH ALSO
WANTS THE UNITED STATES TO HALT WEAPONS SALES TO THE NATIONALIST
STRONGHOLD. BUT ADVOCATES OF TAIWAN INDEPENDENCE ARE ALREADY
BEGINNING TO ACCUSE WASHINGTON OF SELLING THEM OUT, IN THE NAME
OF BETTER RELATIONS WITH BEIJING. (SIGNED)
NEB/JM/FC/RAE
30-Jun-98 7:45 AM EDT (1145 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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