DATE=10/19/98
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-41629
TITLE=CHINA / TAIWAN
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: TAIWAN'S TOP CHINA NEGOTIATOR -- KOO CHEN FU -- HAS FLOWN
BACK TO THE ISLAND AFTER STRIKING A DEAL WITH HIS CHINESE
COUNTERPART -- WANG DAOHAN -- TO EXPLORE WAYS TO RESTART A FORMAL
DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE TWO CROSS-STRAIT RIVALS. V-O-A
CORRESPONDENT ROGER WILKISON REPORTS MR. KOO MANAGED TO BREAK THE
ICE BUT NOT THE DEADLOCK THAT EXISTS BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES.
TEXT: HIGH-LEVEL CONTACTS BETWEEN CHINA AND TAIWAN HAD BEEN
FROZEN FOR THREE YEARS BEFORE MR. KOO'S VISIT TO SHANGHAI AND
BEIJING. CHINA SCRAPPED AN INCIPIENT DIALOGUE WITH THE ISLAND
AFTER TAIWANESE PRESIDENT LEE TENG-HUI MADE AN UNOFFICIAL TRIP TO
THE UNITED STATES. CHINA SAW THE JOURNEY AS AN ATTEMPT TO RAISE
TAIWAN'S INTERNATIONAL PROFILE AND A RETREAT FROM BEIJING'S GOAL
OF REUNIFICATION.
MR. KOO CHARACTERIZED HIS MEETINGS WITH CHINESE PRESIDENT JIANG
ZEMIN AND OTHER OFFICIALS AS WARM, BUT HE WAS FORTHRIGHT ABOUT
STATING THE ISLAND'S POSITION ON REUNIFICATION. CHINA HAS
OFFERED TO REINCORPORATE TAIWAN UNDER THE SAME "ONE COUNTRY-TWO
SYSTEMS" FORMULA THAT GRANTED HONG KONG A WIDE DEGREE OF
AUTONOMY. BUT TAIWANESE FOREIGN MINISTER JASON HU SAYS THE
ISLAND CANNOT EVEN CONSIDER REUNIFICATION UNTIL CHINA BECOMES A
DEMOCRACY.
// HU ACTUALITY //
WHAT WOULD IT BRING TO US THAT WE DO NOT HAVE NOW? WOULD IT
BRING US MORE FREEDOM? WOULD IT BRING US MORE DEMOCRACY?
PEOPLE HERE, YOU KNOW, ARE NOW IN A FULLY DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM, THEY
JUST SIMPLY WOULD NOT ACCEPT A ONE COUNTRY-TWO SYSTEMS FORMULA.
THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HONG KONG AND TAIWAN IN THIS
REGARD. WE HAVE A TRUE DEMOCRACY HERE, AND THE WISH OF THE
PEOPLE MUST BE RESPECTED.
//END ACTUALITY//
A POLL RELEASED THIS MONTH BY THE TAIWANESE GOVERNMENT SHOWS THAT
A MAJORITY OF THE ISLAND'S PEOPLE WANT TO CONTINUE ENJOYING
TAIWAN'S CURRENT STATUS OF DE FACTO INDEPENDENCE. AND IT REVEALS
THAT MOST OF THEM WANT TO POSTPONE ANY DECISION ON REUNIFICATION.
BUT CHINA IS PUSHING HARD AND HAS TOLD TAIWAN THAT DISCUSSION OF
POLITICAL ISSUES RELATED TO EVENTUAL REUNIFICATION MUST BE ON THE
AGENDA IF THE TWO SIDES ARE TO RESUME A FORMAL DIALOGUE. CHINA
REFUSES TO RULE OUT THE USE OF FORCE TO RECAPTURE THE ISLAND,
ESPECIALLY IF IT DECLARES UNILATERAL INDEPENDENCE. CHINESE
FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN TANG GUOQIANG -- SPEAKING THROUGH AN
INTERPRETER -- ARGUES THAT THE THREAT ACTUALLY FACILITATES A
PEACEFUL RESOLUTION OF THE TAIWAN QUESTION.
// INTERPRETER ACT //
WE ARE TRYING TO REACH A PEACEFUL REUNIFICATION OF THE
MOTHERLAND, BUT WE DO NOT COMMIT TO GIVE UP THE MILITARY MEANS.
THE NON-ABANDONMENT OF MILITARY MEANS IS ENSURING THE PEACEFUL
RESOLUTION OF THE TAIWAN ISSUE.
// END ACT //
CHINA ALSO REJECTS THE IDEA THAT TAIWAN HAS A RIGHT TO
SELF-DETERMINATION, EVEN THOUGH BEIJING RECENTLY SIGNED AN
INTERNATIONAL COVENANT THAT GUARANTEES THAT RIGHT. CHINESE
SPOKESMAN TANG SAYS SELF DETERMINATION APPLIES TO PEOPLE UNDER
COLONIAL RULE BUT NOT TO PEOPLE LIVING WITHIN A SOVEREIGN STATE
LIKE CHINA.
// INTERPRETER ACT //
SELF-DETERMINATION CANNOT BE INTERPRETED AS ALLOWING OR
ENCOURAGING ACTIVITIES AIMED AT SPLITTING THE TERRITORIAL
INTEGRITY OF A SOVEREIGN STATE.
//END ACTUALITY//
DURING HIS VISIT, MR. KOO FREQUENTLY SAID IT WILL TAKE TIME AND
MANY CONTACTS TO PEEL AWAY THE LAYERS OF MISTRUST THAT HAVE
EXISTED ACROSS THE TAIWAN STRAIT SINCE THE COMMUNISTS CHASED THE
CHINESE NATIONALISTS OFF THE MAINLAND AND ONTO THE ISLAND IN
1949. ANALYST JEAN-PIERRE CABESTAN OF THE FRENCH RESEARCH CENTER
ON CONTEMPORARY CHINA IN HONG KONG THINKS MR. KOO'S VISIT HELPED
TAIWAN SCORE SOME POINTS INTERNATIONALLY, DESPITE THE DIPLOMATIC
ISOLATION BEIJING HAS IMPOSED ON IT.
//CABESTAN ACTUALITY//
THIS MEETING WAS SIGNIFICANT IN A WAY THAT IT GAVE THE OCCASION
FOR TAIWAN TO MAKE BETTER KNOWN ITS POSITION AND NOT ONLY TO THE
CHINESE LEADERSHIP. IN THE REST OF THE WORLD, PEOPLE AND
LEADERSHIP AND GOVERNMENTS ARE GOING TO UNDERSTAND BETTER THAT,
TO MAKE A DEAL, WE HAVE TO BE TWO (THAT BOTH SIDES HAVE TO AGREE
TO MAKE A DEAL) AND THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO TAKE (BOTH SIDES) INTO
ACCOUNT, THE POSITION OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, (AND)
THE POSITION OF THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA ON TAIWAN.
//END ACT//
MR. CABESTAN'S POINT WAS BORNE OUT BY INTERNATIONAL REPORTERS
COVERING THE CHINA/TAIWAN TALKS. THE TAIWANESE SIDE WAS OPEN TO
THE NEWS MEDIA, AVAILABLE TO REPORTERS AT ALL TIMES, WHEREAS THE
CHINESE SIDE LIMITED ITSELF TO A FEW OFFICIAL BRIEFINGS AND WAS
OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE FOR COMMENT. (SIGNED)
NEB/RW/GC/FC/KL
19-Oct-98 9:00 AM EDT (1300 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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