DATE=7/15/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-235473
TITLE= CHINA/ TAIWAN/ U-N (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=STEPHANIE HO
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: AS EXPECTED, CHINA IS REACTING WITH STRONG WORDS TO
TAIWAN'S LATEST EFFORTS TO JOIN THE UNITED NATIONS. V-O-A'S
STEPHANIE HO REPORTS, BEIJING REGARDS THE ISLAND AS A REBEL
PROVINCE -- WHICH IS NOT ENTITLED TO DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH
OTHER COUNTRIES OR MEMBERSHIP IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS.
TEXT: CHINA'S OFFICIAL XINHUA NEWS AGENCY WEDNESDAY URGED
COUNTRIES THAT SUPPORT TAIWAN'S MEMBERSHIP IN THE UNITED NATIONS
TO IMMEDIATELY STOP WHAT IT CALLED "THEIR ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES."
IN A SIX-PAGE DISPATCH, XINHUA SAYS CHINA'S U-N AMBASSADOR, QIN
HUASUN, HAS DENOUNCED TAIWAN'S U-N APPLICATION AS AN INTERFERENCE
IN CHINA'S INTERNAL AFFAIRS AND AN OBSTRUCTION TO RE-UNIFICATION.
THE CHINESE NATIONALIST GOVERNMENT FLED TO TAIWAN IN 1949 AFTER
LOSING MAINLAND CHINA TO THE COMMUNISTS. CHINA'S U-N MEMBERSHIP
WAS SWITCHED FROM TAIPEI TO BEIJING IN 1971.
TAIWAN'S LATEST BID FOR U-N MEMBERSHIP WAS MADE BY 11 MOSTLY
AFRICAN AND CARIBBEAN COUNTRIES, IN A LETTER TO U-N
SECRETARY-GENERAL KOFI ANNAN.
THE LETTER SAYS TAIWAN HAS A POPULATION OF NEARLY 22-MILLION
PEOPLE AND IS THE 20TH LARGEST ECONOMY IN THE WORLD. IT SAYS THE
CONTINUED EXCLUSION OF THE ISLAND FROM THE UNITED NATIONS IS
ARCHAIC, UNJUST AND UNWARRANTED.
IN HIS PROTEST LETTER, CHINESE U-N AMBASSADOR QIN SAID CHINA HAS
NEVER DONE ANYTHING TO HURT THE INTERESTS OF THE COUNTRIES THAT
SUPPORT TAIWAN'S BID. BUT HE ADDS THEIR ACTION HAS SERIOUSLY
HARMED CHINA'S INTERESTS, AND HURT THE FEELINGS OF THE CHINESE
PEOPLE.
THESE DAYS, RELATIONS ACROSS THE TAIWAN STRAIT APPEAR RELAXED.
TAIWANESE COMPANIES HAVE INVESTED MORE THAN 30-BILLION DOLLARS IN
CHINA AND THOUSANDS OF TAIWANESE VISIT THEIR RELATIVES ON THE
MAINLAND. BUT SOME CHINESE REMEMBER THE HOSTILITY THAT PREVAILED
IN THE NOT-SO-DISTANT PAST.
CHINESE DISSIDENT LIN XINSHU LIVES IN FUJIAN PROVINCE -- JUST
ACROSS THE TAIWAN STRAIT FROM THE ISLAND. HE SAYS HE REMEMBERS
IN 1960, WHEN HE WAS 17-YEARS-OLD, AND PART OF THE LOCAL MILITIA.
/// LIN CHINESE ACT -- IN FULL, FADE OUT ///
AT THAT TIME, HE SAYS, TENSIONS BETWEEN CHINA AND ITS ENEMIES ON
TAIWAN WERE HIGH. FROM THE SOUTHERN COASTAL CITY OF XIAMEN, MR.
LIN SAYS HE COULD SEE THE NATIONALIST FLAG AND TAIWANESE MILITARY
CARS ON KINMEN ISLAND, TWO KILOMETERS AWAY.
HE SAID HE WOULD CARRY A GUN ON HIS EVENING PATROLS AND THAT THE
SITUATION WORRIED HIM SO MUCH THAT HE OFTEN FELT HE SAW SEA
MONSTERS IN THE WATER.
MR. LIN SAYS HE CAN UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE IN TAIWAN MIGHT WANT
INDEPENDENCE, BUT HE SAYS HE STILL HOPES FOR EVENTUAL
RE-UNIFICATION.
TALKS BETWEEN REPRESENTATIVES FROM TAIPEI AND BEIJING RESUMED
EARLIER THIS YEAR AFTER A NEARLY THREE-YEAR HIATUS, AND FURTHER
CROSS-STRAITS MEETINGS ARE SET TO CONTINUE. ON TUESDAY, CHINA'S
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY MINISTER ZHU LILAN ARRIVED IN TAIPEI, IN
HER STATUS AS A PEKING UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR, TO ATTEND A SEMINAR
ON INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY AND ELECTRONICS. (SIGNED)
NEB/HO/RBW/FC/WTW
15-Jul-98 6:11 AM EDT (1011 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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