DATE=10/17/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-240331
TITLE=CHINA / TAIWAN (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: TAIWAN'S TOP CHINA NEGOTIATOR --KOO CHEN-FU-- IS
SCHEDULED TO MEET WITH CHINESE PRESIDENT JIANG ZEMIN SUNDAY IN
BEIJING IN WHAT WILL BE THE HIGHEST CONTACT ON CHINESE SOIL
BETWEEN THE TWO RIVALS SINCE THE END OF THE CHINESE CIVIL WAR IN
1949. V-O-A CORRESPONDENT ROGER WILKISON REPORTS THE MEETING
COMES AFTER MR. KOO AND HIS CHINESE COUNTERPART --WANG DAOHAN--
TOOK STEPS EARLIER THIS WEEK TOWARD A RENEWAL OF THE CROSS-STRAIT
DIALOGUE THAT WAS BROKEN OFF BY CHINA THREE YEARS AGO.
TEXT: TAIWAN HAS TRIED COUNTLESS TIMES TO RE-START FORMAL
NEGOTIATIONS WITH CHINA SINCE BEIJING SCRAPPED A PREVIOUS ROUND
OF TALKS TO PUNISH THE ISLAND FOR TRYING TO BREAK OUT OF THE
DIPLOMATIC ISOLATION CHINA HAS IMPOSED ON IT. CHINA'S CONDITION
FOR RENEWED TALKS HAS BEEN THAT THEY MUST FOCUS ON TAIWAN'S
EVENTUAL REUNIFICATION WITH THE MAINLAND. TAIWAN HAS HELD OUT FOR
A DISCUSSION OF SUCH PRACTICAL MATTERS AS FISHING DISPUTES AND
PROTECTION OF TAIWANESE CITIZENS DOING BUSINESS ON THE MAINLAND.
UNDER THE AGREEMENT REACHED THURSDAY BY MR. KOO AND MR. WANG,
THEIR TOP AIDES WILL EXPLORE WAYS TO RESUME A FORMAL DIALOGUE,
AND MR. WANG WILL VISIT TAIWAN EARLY NEXT YEAR. BOTH SIDES SAID
FUTURE TALKS WILL ENCOMPASS THE POLITICAL ISSUES CHINA WANTS TO
DISCUSS AND THE DAY-TO-DAY ISSUES TAIWAN WANTS TO TALK ABOUT.
TAIWAN'S NATIONALIST PARTY GOVERNMENT HAS PAID LIP SERVICE TO THE
IDEA OF EVENTUAL REUNIFICATION WITH THE MAINLAND BUT SAYS IT CAN
ONLY COME AFTER THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY ENDS ITS MONOPOLY ON
POWER AND BECOMES A DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY. CHINA HAS OFFERED TO
REINCORPORATE TAIWAN UNDER THE SAME FORMULA THAT ALLOWS HONG
KONG TO MAINTAIN CONSIDERABLE AUTONOMY AND HAS EVEN SAID IT WILL
ALLOW THE ISLAND TO MAINTAIN ITS ARMED FORCES. TAIWAN WANTS TO BE
TREATED AS A SEPARATE AND EQUAL ENTITY. POLLS SHOW THAT A
MAJORITY OF TAIWANESE SEE THEMSELVES AS BEING DIFFERENT FROM
MAINLAND CHINESE. THEY ALSO SHOW MOST SUPPORT A CONTINUATION OF
THE DE- FACTO INDEPENDENCE THE ISLAND HAS ENJOYED SINCE THE
NATIONALISTS FLED THERE 49 YEARS AGO AFTER BEING EXPELLED FROM
THE MAINLAND BY THE COMMUNISTS.
THE TWO SIDES, THEREFORE, REMAIN DEEPLY DIVIDED, BUT DIPLOMATS IN
BEIJING SAY THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE BROKEN THE ICE AND ARE
TALKING AT ALL IS A SIGN OF PROGRESS. STILL, MR. KOO HAS CITED A
LACK OF MUTUAL TRUST AS BEING THE BIGGEST ROADBLOCK TOWARD
RE-STARTING FORMAL NEGOTIATIONS.
PRESIDENT JIANG, WHO HAS ESTABLISHED REUNIFICATION AS ONE OF HIS
TOP GOALS, HAS --BY SCHEDULING A ONE-HOUR MEETING WITH MR. KOO--
INDICATED THE IMPORTANCE HE ATTACHES TO WOOING TAIWAN BACK INTO
THE FOLD. IN A SIGN OF CHINA'S UNUSUAL CHARM OFFENSIVE TOWARD
THE ISLAND, THE TAIWANESE ENVOY, WHO IS ON AN UNOFFICIAL VISIT,
IS STAYING AT THE BEIJING GUEST HOUSE USUALLY RESERVED FOR
DISTINGUISHED FOREIGN VISITORS. (SIGNED)
NEB/RW/PLM
17-Oct-98 5:30 AM EDT (0930 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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