DATE=10/13/98
TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP
NUMBER=6-10960
TITLE=BEIJING AND TAIPEI BACK ON SPEAKING TERMS
BYLINE=CHALLISS MCDONOUGH
TELEPHONE=619-2702
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS
CONTENT=
INTRO: THIS WEEK, THE THAWING OF RELATIONS ACROSS THE TAIWAN
STRAITS HAS DRAWN THE ATTENTION OF EDITORIAL WRITERS AT A NUMBER
OF U-S NEWSPAPERS. CHINA AND TAIWAN HAVE RESUMED A DIALOGUE THAT
WAS SUSPENDED THREE-YEARS AGO.
HERE IS _____________ TO GIVE US A SAMPLING OF U-S DAILIES'
THOUGHTS ON THE MATTER WITH TODAY'S U-S OPINION ROUNDUP.
TEXT: SINCE 1995, RELATIONS BETWEEN TAIWAN AND MAINLAND CHINA
HAVE BEEN EVEN COOLER THAN NORMAL. BEIJING CUT OFF ALL DIALOGUE
THAT YEAR AFTER TAIWANESE PRESIDENT LEE TENG-HUI MADE A
CONTROVERSIAL PRIVATE VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES.
THE SITUATION TOOK A MILITARY TURN BEFORE TAIWAN'S 1996
ELECTIONS, WHEN CHINA LOBBED ARTILLERY SHELLS INTO THE TAIWAN
STRAITS. U-S INVOLVEMENT CONTINUED WHEN WASHINGTON SENT TWO
AIRCRAFT CARRIERS TO THE AREA TO DISSUADE FURTHER CHINESE
MILITARY ACTION.
U-S EDITORIAL PAGES -- IN GENERAL -- HAVE WELCOMED THE RESUMPTION
OF DIALOGUE BETWEEN TAIPEI AND BEIJING. HERE IS WHAT "THE
WASHINGTON TIMES" HAD TO SAY AS THE TALKS BEGAN:
VOICE: LITTLE OF SUBSTANCE IS LIKELY TO COME OUT OF THE MEETING
THIS WEEK. ... THE ISSUES THAT SIMULTANEOUSLY UNITE AND
DIVIDE BEIJING AND TAIPEI ARE AMONG THE THORNIEST
PROBLEMS ABROAD TODAY. BUT SOMETIMES, AND THIS IS ONE,
THE MEETING IS MESSAGE ENOUGH ALL BY ITSELF.
MUCH OF THE DEBATE ON THE EDITORIAL PAGES HAS INVOLVED U-S POLICY
IN THE MATTER. IN JUNE OF THIS YEAR, PRESIDENT CLINTON VOICED
U-S OPPOSITION TO INDEPENDENCE FOR TAIWAN. ADMINISTRATION
OFFICIALS DENIED THE COMMENTS REPRESENTED A POLICY SHIFT.
SEVERAL PAPERS -- INCLUDING "THE WASHINGTON POST" -- HAVE
CRITICIZED WHAT THEY CALLED MIXED MESSAGES COMING FROM THE UNITED
STATES.
VOICE: THE RESUMPTION OF A DIALOGUE BETWEEN CHINA AND TAIWAN
ADDS A MEASURE OF CALM TO A RELATIONSHIP CRITICAL TO THE
STABILITY AND WELFARE OF THE WHOLE EAST ASIAN REGION.
... FORTUNATELY, THE MIXED MESSAGE SENT BY [AMERICA] HAS
NOT KEPT CHINA AND TAIWAN FROM RETURNING TO THE DIALOGUE
FORMAT THEY OPENED IN 1993.
THE "DALLAS (TEXAS) MORNING NEWS" GIVES MR. CLINTON A LITTLE MORE
CREDIT THAN THE "POST" DOES, BUT ALSO CALLS THE ADMINISTRATION'S
POLICIES INTO QUESTION. THE "MORNING NEWS" IS PARTICULARLY
CONCERNED WITH THE SHAPE OF ANY POSSIBLE FUTURE REUNIFICATION
BETWEEN ISLAND AND MAINLAND.
VOICE: THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION DESERVES CREDIT FOR GETTING
BEIJING AND TAIPEI TO RESUME THEIR TALKS. YET THE WHITE
HOUSE MUST STOP SENDING MIXED SIGNALS. ... SUCH
FLIP-FLOPPING IS DANGEROUS. ... THE CLINTON
ADMINISTRATION SHOULD ... [SEND] OUT THE SIGNAL THAT
TAIPEI IS THE MODEL OF CAPITALIST DEMOCRACY TO WHICH
BEIJING SHOULD ASPIRE, RATHER THAN THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
NEITHER THE NATURE OF A POSSIBLE REUNION BETWEEN CHINA AND
TAIWAN, NOR U-S POLICY ON THE MATTER HAVE ESCAPED THE NOTICE OF
"THE NEW YORK TIMES."
VOICE: ANY EVENTUAL REUNIFICATION SHOULD BE BASED ON CONSENT
AND SHOULD RESEMBLE THE ONE-COUNTRY-TWO-SYSTEMS MODEL
APPLIED IN HONG KONG. REUNIFICATION IS, AT ANY RATE, AN
ISSUE BEST DEFERRED. THE CURRENT TALKS COULD MORE
USEFULLY CONCENTRATE ON PERSUADING TAIWAN TO REMOVE
OUTDATED OBSTACLES TO CROSS-STRAIT TRADE AND TOURISM AND
ON PERSUADING BEIJING TO RENOUNCE FURTHER THREATS OF
FORCE AGAINST TAIWAN.
U-S PAPERS ARE NOT UNANIMOUS IN THEIR OPTIMISM REGARDING THE
RESUMPTION OF DIALOGUE. FROM "THE WALL STREET JOURNAL" COMES A
VOICE OF CAUTION FOR TAIWAN.
VOICE: IN TODAY'S WORLD ... THE VERY ACT OF ENTERING INTO TALKS
CAN BE A RISKY THING. ONCE TAIWAN BEGINS TALKING TO
BEIJING, IT MAY FIND THAT ITS ACTIONS ... WILL BE JUDGED
... IN TERMS OF WHETHER THEY PROMOTE OR HINDER DIALOGUE
WITH THE MAINLAND.
AND WITH THAT, WE END THIS LOOK AT U-S EDITORIAL OPINION ON THE
RESUMPTION OF DIALOGUE BETWEEN CHINA AND TAIWAN.
NEB/CEM/RAE
15-Oct-98 1:12 PM EDT (1712 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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