DATE=7/7/98
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-40873
TITLE=TAIWAN / INDEPENDENCE
BYLINE=STEPHANIE HO
DATELINE=TAIWAN
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: ONE CRUCIAL ISSUE THAT HAS SEPARATED TAIWAN'S RULING
NATIONALIST PARTY FROM ITS MAIN OPPOSITION, THE DEMOCRATIC
PROGRESSIVE PARTY, FOR THE PAST DECADE IS WHETHER THE ISLAND
SHOULD SEEK OUTRIGHT INDEPENDENCE. V-O-A'S STEPHANIE HO REPORTS
RE-UNIFICATION WITH MAINLAND CHINA -- WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE
NATIONALIST PARTY'S POSITION -- IS NOW ALSO BEING DISCUSSED BY
THE OPPOSITION PARTY.
TEXT: A BOOK PUBLISHED SEVERAL YEARS AGO BY TAIWAN'S MAIN
OPPOSITION -- THE DEMOCRATIC PROGRESSIVE PARTY, OR D-P-P -- IS
PLAINTIVELY TITLED "GIVE TAIWAN A CHANCE." IN IT, THE GROUP
CALLS THE RULING NATIONALIST PARTY, K-M-T, INCOMPETENT, AND
BLAMES THE K-M-T FOR THE ISLAND'S DIPLOMATIC ISOLATION.
THE D-P-P HAS BECOME FAMOUS FOR CAMPAIGNING FOR TAIWAN'S
INDEPENDENCE -- A POSITION THAT HAS ALARMED BOTH THE K-M-T PARTY
AND THE AUTHORITIES IN BEIJING, WHO CONSIDER THE ISLAND A REBEL
PROVINCE.
RECENTLY, HOWEVER, THE OPPOSITION PARTY SEEMS TO HAVE TONED DOWN
ITS RHETORIC. THE D-P-P ANNOUNCED THAT HIGH-RANKING PARTY
OFFICIALS WILL TAKE TURNS VISITING MAINLAND CHINA IN THE NEAR
FUTURE.
NATIONAL TAIWAN UNIVERSITY POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR, GER
YEONG-KUANG, ADDS THAT THE OUTGOING D-P-P CHAIRMAN, HSU
HSIN-LIANG, CALLS THE PARTY'S POLICY ONE COUNTRY, ONE SYSTEM -- A
VARIATION ON CHINA'S ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS REUNIFICATION PLAN
FOR TAIWAN.
// GER ACT //
THE SO-CALLED ONE SYSTEM IS A FREE AND DEMOCRATIC
SYSTEM. HE (HSU HSIN-LIANG) SAID ONCE THE P-R-C HAS
TRANSFORMED ITSELF INTO A DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM, THEN WE CAN
TALK ABOUT UNIFICATION. REMEMBER, TALK ABOUT
UNIFICATION, NOT INDEPENDENCE. AND THE D-P-P'S POLICY
IN THE PAST WAS INDEPENDENCE AND ACCORDING TO THEIR
PARTY PLATFORM, THEY ARE STILL ARGUING FOR TAIWAN
INDEPENDENCE. BUT HSU HSIN-LIANG MENTIONED HE'S WILLING
TO TALK ABOUT UNIFICATION.
// END ACT //
PROFESSOR GER WELCOMES THIS ALTERATION OF THE OPPOSITION PARTY'S
STANCE AS A POSITIVE THING, AND SAYS DOMESTIC AGREEMENT ON THIS
QUESTION IS WHAT TAIWANESE PEOPLE WANT.
// GER SECOND ACT //
ONCE THE POLITICAL PARTIES HERE IN TAIWAN CAN REACH
CONSENSUS ABOUT TAIWAN INDEPENDENCE OR UNIFICATION
ISSUE, I THINK DOMESTIC POLITICS WILL BECOME MORE
STABLE. SO, IN SOME DEGREE, IT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE
GROWTH OF TAIWAN'S DEMOCRACY. IT WILL ALSO CALM DOWN
THE PEOPLE HERE BECAUSE THEY ARE TIRED OF THE INTERNAL
FIGHTING AMONG POLITICAL PARTIES AND POLITICIANS.
// END ACT //
ALTHOUGH PROFESSOR GER SAYS HE DOES NOT SUPPORT INDEPENDENCE
FOR TAIWAN, HE ADVOCATES A MORE AGGRESSIVE DIPLOMATIC ROLE FOR
THE ISLAND -- POINTING TO OTHER PRECEDENTS.
// GER THIRD ACT //
AFTER WORLD WAR TWO, THERE WERE SEVERAL DIVIDED
COUNTRIES -- SUCH AS GERMANY AND KOREA. BEFORE
UNIFICATION, TWO GERMANIES COULD CO-EXIST WITH EACH
OTHER IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. WHY NOT CHINA?
AND NOW, TWO KOREAS COULD CO-EXIST WITH EACH OTHER IN
THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. WHY NOT CHINA? SO WE
DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR FOR MAINLAND CHINA TO ISOLATE
TAIWAN IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.
// END ACT //
BEIJING HAS NOT RENOUNCED THE USE OF FORCE TO TAKE TAIWAN BACK.
MR. GER SAYS HE IS CONVINCED THAT IF THE ISLAND DOES INDEED TRY
TO SEEK INDEPENDENCE, THIS WILL GIVE CHINA A REASON TO GO TO WAR.
WHAT HE ADVOCATES, INSTEAD, IS A MAINTENANCE OF THE STATUS QUO --
WITH NO INDEPENDENCE FOR TAIWAN, AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM BOTH
SIDES CONTINUING DISCUSSIONS ON THE ISLAND'S EVENTUAL
REUNIFICATION WITH CHINA. (SIGNED)
NEB/HO/TMD/MMK
07-Jul-98 12:48 PM EDT (1648 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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