DATE=10/12/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-240061
TITLE=CHINA / TAIWAN TALKS (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=JAMES MITCHELL
DATELINE=TAIPEI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: OFFICIALS FROM CHINA AND TAIWAN ARE PREPARING TO SIT DOWN
FOR THEIR FIRST HIGH-LEVEL TALKS IN FIVE YEARS, AIMED AT ENDING
ALMOST FIVE DECADES OF HOSTILITIES ACROSS THE TAIWAN STRAIT. A
12 - MEMBER DELEGATION FROM TAIWAN ARRIVES IN SHANGHAI ON
WEDNESDAY AND WILL LATER TRAVEL TO BEIJING FOR MEETINGS WITH TOP
CHINESE LEADERS. BUT AS JAMES MITCHELL REPORTS FROM TAIPEI, THE
TAIWAN DELEGATION FACES A TOUGH CHALLENGE, IN BEIJING AND AT
HOME.
TEXT: FOR ALL APPEARANCES, THE FIVE-DAY VISIT TO CHINA BY
SENIOR TAIWANESE NEGOTIATORS IS A MAJOR STEP FORWARD FOR
CROSS-STRAIT RELATIONS. THE LAST TIME TAIWAN'S CHIEF DELEGATE,
GU ZHEN-FU, MET WITH HIS COUNTERPART WANG DAO-HAN WAS IN 1993 AND
THAT WAS IN SINGAPORE. THIS TIME, NOT ONLY ARE THE TALKS IN
CHINA, BUT WILL BE FURTHER LEGITIMIZED WHEN THE VISITING SIDE
MEETS WITH CHINESE PRESIDENT JIANG ZEMIN AND OTHER SENIOR LEADERS
ON OCTOBER 18TH.
IN MANY WAYS, THIS ROUND OF THE SO-CALLED "GU-WANG" TALKS PUTS
THE TWO RIVALS BACK TO WHERE THEY WERE IN 1995, BEFORE TAIWAN
PRESIDENT LEE DENG-HUI'S HIGHLY PUBLICIZED TRIP TO THE UNITED
STATES. THAT SENT RELATIONS PLUMMETING TO THE POINT WHERE CHINA
HELD LIVE MISSILE TESTS IN THE TAIWAN STRAIT.
BUT MANY OBSERVERS HERE IN TAIWAN SAY THE TALKS ARE NOT LIKELY
TO PRODUCE IMMEDIATE RESULTS. WHILE CHINA WANTS TO NEGOTIATE A
POLITICAL DEAL AIMED AT REUNIFICATION, TAIWAN CLEARLY FAVORS THE
STATUS QUO -- THAT IS, MAINTAINING A SEPARATE STATE UNTIL
CONDITIONS ARE CONSIDERED MORE FAVORABLE. THE QUESTION EVERYONE
IS THEREFORE ASKING AND WHICH NEITHER SIDE HAS AGREED UPON IS
WHAT MR. GU AND MR.WANG WILL TALK ABOUT.
EVEN THE DIRECTOR OF TAIWAN'S MAINLAND AFFAIRS COUNCIL ZHANG
JING-YU APPEARS A LITTLE VAGUE ON THE ISSUE:
/// ZHANG ACT ///
THE PRIMARY CONSIDERATION FOR US WOULD BE THAT, NUMBER ONE, THAT
THE TWO AUTHORIZED ORGANIZATIONS WILL RESUME THEIR NORMAL
CONTACTS AND COMMUNICATIONS, IN ORDER TO BETTER HANDLE ISSUES
INVOLVING PEOPLE OF BOTH SIDES OF THE TAIWAN STRAITS; AND LATER,
OF COURSE, WOULD BE THAT THE INSTITUTIONALIZED DIALOGUE AND
NEGOTIATIONS WILL BE RESUMED TOO.
/// END ACT ///
TAIWAN'S LARGEST OPPOSITION PARTY, THE DEMOCRATIC PROGRESSIVE
PARTY, HAS REACTED SHARPLY TO THE GOVERNMENT'S REJECTION OF ITS
REQUEST THAT THE DELEGATION INCLUDE ONE OF ITS MEMBERS. LAWMAKER
MICHAEL SUMS UP HIS PRO-INDEPENDENCE PARTY'S CONCERNS:
/// CAI ACT ///
SEE, IF THEY SAY, OH, WELCOME BACK TO CHINA, AND THEN THE
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SAY, HEY, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT
REUNIFICATION. SO THIS IS WHAT WE ARE WORRIED ABOUT, SO THIS IS
WHAT WE INSIST THAT WE SHOULD BE REPRESENTED FAIRLY, FULLY, TO
REPRESENT THE MAJORITY OF TAIWANESE PEOPLE ON THIS ISLAND. WE
ARE STRONGLY AGAINST THE 'ONE CHINA' POLICY, WE'RE STRONGLY
AGAINST BECOMING A PART OF CHINA, WE ARE AGAINST CHINA PUTTING
THEIR STRONG HAND AGAINST TAIWAN TO BE A MEMBER OF INTERNATIONAL
ORGANIZATIONS."
/// END ACT ///
DESPITE THE DISSENT, AT LEAST ONE POSITIVE SIGN HAS APPEARED:
BOTH SIDES HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT IF MEETINGS LIKE THIS ONE CAN
IMPROVE THE STATE OF RELATIONS BETWEEN CHINA AND TAIWAN A
PRESIDENTIAL SUMMIT IS NOT UNTHINKABLE. (SIGNED)
NEB/JM/FC/KL
12-Oct-98 4:54 AM EDT (0854 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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