DATE=7/10/98
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-40895
TITLE=TAIWAN / ISSUES
BYLINE=STEPHANIE HO
DATELINE=HONG KONG
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: PRESIDENT CLINTON'S RECENT TRIP TO CHINA RAISED SEVERAL
ISSUES OF VITAL INTEREST TO TAIWAN -- AMONG THEM: THE QUESTION OF
INDEPENDENCE FOR THE ISLAND, ARMS SALES TO TAIPEI, TAIWAN'S
MEMBERSHIP IN THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION AND HUMAN RIGHTS.
VOA'S STEPHANIE HO SPOKE TO TAIWANESE LEADERS ABOUT THE ISSUES
AND HAS THIS BACKGROUND REPORT.
TEXT: TAIWANESE OFFICIALS RESPONDED STRONGLY TO PRESIDENT
CLINTON'S PUBLIC STATEMENT IN SHANGHAI OF A U-S POLICY KNOWN AS
THE "THREE NO'S" -- NO INDEPENDENCE FOR TAIWAN, NO TWO CHINA'S,
AND NO MEMBERSHIP FOR TAIWAN IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS.
THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION HAS SAID TAIWAN IS OVERREACTING AND
THIS WEEK THE TOP U-S OFFICIAL FOR THE ISLAND WAS IN TAIPEI
REASSURING TAIWANESE LEADERS THAT U-S POLICY HAS NOT CHANGED.
TAIWANESE FOREIGN MINISTER JASON HU SAID THE U-S RESTATEMENT OF
THE "THREE NO'S" GIVES A NEGATIVE IMPRESSION -- BOTH INSIDE AND
OUTSIDE OF TAIWAN.
// HU ACT //
IF YOU LOOK AT THE WORLD MEDIA IN THE UNITED STATES, IN
LONDON, IN JAPAN -- THEY READ IT LIKE TAIWAN, TOO. IF
WE ARE OVERREACTING, WHAT ABOUT THESE MEDIA? WHAT ABOUT
THESE PEOPLE WHO WRITE FOR THE MEDIA OR TALK FOR THE
MEDIA? OBVIOUSLY, THEY THOUGHT THE UNITED STATES WAS
CHANGING POLICY, TOO, AND IT TAKES A LOT OF EFFORT FOR
THE UNITED STATES TO TRY AND EXPLAIN THAT WE -- LOOK,
LOOK, LOOK -- THIS IS OLD WINE IN A NEW BOTTLE.
// END ACT //
U-S OFFICIALS HAVE SAID, THOUGH, THAT THE UNITED STATES WILL
CONTINUE TO SELL WEAPONS TO TAIWAN FOR DEFENSIVE PURPOSES. MR.
HU SAYS TAIWAN WOULD ALSO WELCOME U-S HELP ON ITS APPLICATION TO
JOIN THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION.
MR. HU SAYS TAIWAN'S ENTRY INTO THE W-T-O SHOULD NOT BE HELD UP
BY CHINA'S STALLED W-T-O APPLICATION.
// HU ACT //
SO, WE THINK WE SHOULD GET IN (TO THE W-T-O) FIRST OR AS
SOON AS POSSIBLE. WE DON'T MIND GETTING IN TOGETHER,
BUT TO DELAY OUR ENTRY PURELY BECAUSE THE P-R-C IS
INSISTING UPON THEIR OWN ECONOMIC CONDITIONS IS ENTIRELY
UNJUSTIFIABLE AND UNFAIR.
// END ACT //
IN THE MEANTIME, TALKS ON IMPROVING CROSS STRAITS RELATIONS ARE
BACK ON TRACK -- AFTER A NEARLY THREE YEAR HIATUS. MR. HU POINTS
OUT THAT THE LEADERS FROM THE TWO SEMI-OFFICIAL GROUPS
REPRESENTING EACH SIDE -- KOO CHEN-FU AND WANG DAOHAN -- ARE SET
TO MEET EACH OTHER LATER THIS YEAR.
// HU ACT //
SO, NOW WE'RE PROPOSING MR. KOO AND MR. WANG SHOULD MEET
BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR -- NOW IT LOOKS LIKE EITHER
SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER. AND WE ARE ALSO PROPOSING FOR
PEOPLE AT A LOWER LEVEL THAN THE TWO CHAIRMEN TO WORK
OUT CERTAIN FORMAL AGENDA THAT MAY BE ADOPTED, EITHER
DURING THE MEETING OF THE BIG TWO OR EVEN AFTER. AT
LEAST, WE SHOULD KNOW WHERE WE ARE GOING AND WE SHOULD
TRY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT HAPPENS AFTER A
HANDSHAKE, A DINNER, A MEETING, WOULD ONLY BE THE NEW
BEGINNING OF INTERACTION WITH GOOD NATURE.
// END ACT //
CHINA IS PROPOSING TO REUNIFY TAIWAN UNDER A ONE COUNTRY, TWO
SYSTEMS PLAN SIMILAR TO THE ONE THAT IT USES FOR HONG KONG --
WHICH RETURNED TO CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY LAST YEAR. THE TAIWANESE
FOREIGN MINISTER CALLS THIS PROPOSAL A FORMULA AND SAYS IT IS NOT
ACCEPTABLE.
// HU ACT //
BUT IF YOU SIT DOWN AND THINK ABOUT IT, WHAT WOULD IT
GET US? WHAT WOULD IT BRING TO US THAT WE DO NOT HAVE
NOW? WOULD IT BRING US MORE FREEDOM? WOULD IT BRING US
MORE DEMOCRACY? WOULD IT BRING US MORE PROSPERITY?
WOULD IT BRING US, TO SAY THE LEAST, MORE SECURITY, BY
ACCEPTING A ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS, OR NOMINAL RULE
FROM BEIJING. WHAT WOULD IT BRING US? YOU KNOW, PEOPLE
HERE ARE IN A FULLY DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM. THEY ASK US
THESE QUESTIONS AND IT IS PRECISELY BECAUSE OF THESE
CONSIDERATIONS, THEY JUST SIMPLY WOULD NOT ACCEPT A ONE
COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS FORMULA.
// END ACT //
FOREIGN MINISTER HU SAYS THE SIX MILLION PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WERE
NEVER ASKED THEIR OPINIONS. ON THE OTHER HAND, HE SAYS, TAIWAN'S
21-MILLION PEOPLE LIVE IN A DEMOCRACY -- WHICH MEANS THEY HAVE
THE POWER TO SAY NO. (SIGNED)
NEB/HO/FC
10-Jul-98 2:51 AM EDT (0651 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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