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DATE=7/13/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-251733
TITLE=U-S/CHINA/TAIWAN (L ONLY)
BYLINE=GIL BUTLER
DATELINE=STATE DEPARTMENT
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO:  U-S DIPLOMATS WILL MEET TAIWAN OFFICIALS ON WEDNESDAY IN 
TAIPEI TO GET FIRST-HAND ACCOUNTS OF RECENT STATEMENTS THAT 
CAUSED NEW CROSS-STRAIT TENSIONS.   TAIWAN'S PRESIDENT LEE TENG 
HUI WAS QUOTED BY GERMAN RADIO AS MOVING TOWARD ENDING A 
ONE-CHINA POLICY. VOA'S GIL BUTLER HAS MORE FROM THE STATE 
DEPARTMENT.
TEXT:  CHINA ALWAYS REACTS STRONGLY TO ANY HINT OF INDEPENDENCE 
FROM ACROSS THE TAIWAN STRAIT.  BEIJING CONSIDERS TAIWAN A 
PROVINCE OF CHINA.
LAST SATURDAY TAIWAN'S PRESIDENT TOLD GERMAN RADIO RELATIONS WITH
THE MAINLAND ARE STATE TO STATE DEALINGS--A CHARACTERIZATION THAT
IS AT ODDS WITH CHINA'S VIEW OF THE RELATIONSHIP.
THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN SAID LEE TENG-HUI IS 
TAKING AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS STEP AND REPEATED THAT CHINA IS 
READY TO USE FORCE TO BLOCK TAIWAN INDEPENDENCE.
THE STATE DEPARTMENT IS REACTING WITH CAUTION.  SPOKESMAN JAMES 
RUBIN SAID NEITHER THE ORIGINAL STATEMENT BY TAIWAN'S  PRESIDENT 
LEE TENG-HUI NOR CHINA'S SUBSEQUENT REACTIONS WERE BENEFICIAL TO 
CHANCES FOR A DIALOGUE.  AMERICAN DIPLOMATS ARE SCHEDULED TO MEET
IN TAIPEI WEDNESDAY TO GET TAIWAN'S EXPLANATION OF THE 
SIGNIFICANCE OF PRESIDENT LEE'S REMARKS AND MR. RUBIN SAID UNTIL 
THEN, REACTIONS ARE ONLY TO NEWS REPORTS.
                        /// RUBIN ACT ///
         REMEMBER, WHAT WE ARE REACTING TO, AND WHAT ALL OF YOU 
         ARE REACTING TO IS MEDIA REPORTS ABOUT WHAT HE SAID 
         WITHOUT THE FULL TRANSCRIPTS, WITHOUT THE FULL CONTEXT 
         AND PERHAPS WITH TRANSLATION ISSUES.  AND SO IT SEEMS TO
         US THAT BEFORE DRAWING FUNDAMENTAL CONCLUSIONS THE 
         APPROPRIATE COURSE OF ACTION FOR DIPLOMATS IS TO GO TO 
         THE SOURCE, TO ASK THEM SOME QUESTIONS, TO FIND OUT 
         WHETHER THERE IS A NEW CLARIFICATION THAT CAN BE MADE, 
         WILL BE MADE , OR WON'T BE MADE, TO EXPLAIN THE WORDS 
         THAT HAVE APPEARED IN NEWSPAPERS.
                        /// END ACT /// 
THE STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN AGAIN STATED LONG-STANDING U-S 
POLICY THAT THERE IS ONLY ONE CHINA AND THAT THE UNITED STATES 
DOES NOT SUPPORT TAIWAN INDEPENDENCE.
MR. RUBIN SAID THE U-S VIEW IS THAT TAIWAN'S FUTURE IS FOR THE 
CHINESE PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE STRAIT TO RESOLVE, 
PEACEFULLY. HE SAID FACE TO FACE MEETINGS ARE THE BEST WAY TO 
CLARIFY MISUNDERSTANDINGS.(SIGNED)
NEB/GB/TVM/PT
13-Jul-99 5:52 PM EDT (2152 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.