DATE=7/19/99
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-43907
TITLE=TAIWAN / CHINA OPINIONS
BYLINE=CHRIS SIMKINS
DATELINE=HONG KONG
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: RELATIONS BETWEEN CHINA AND TAIWAN HAVE PLUNGED TO THE
LOWEST LEVEL IN THREE YEARS AFTER THE ISLAND STIRRED CONTROVERSY
BY ABANDONING ITS SO-CALLED "ONE CHINA" POLICY. V-O-A HONG KONG
CORRESPONDENT CHRIS SIMKINS REPORTS ON A SAMPLE OF DIFFERING
OPINIONS OF THE SURPRISE POLICY CHANGE.
TEXT: THE "ONE CHINA" POLICY -- TWO ENTITIES EXISTING WITHIN
ONE CHINA -- HAS BEEN THE FOUNDATION OF RELATIONS SINCE THE 1980S
AND TENSIONS EASED BETWEEN TAIWAN AND CHINA. BEIJING SAYS
CHANGING THE POLICY NOW IS A DANGEROUS MOVE TOWARD INDEPENDENCE.
BUT MOST PUBLIC OPINION SURVEYS IN TAIWAN INDICATE OVERWHELMING
SUPPORT FOR PRESIDENT LEE TENG-HUI'S MOVE TO SCRAP THE "ONE
CHINA" POLICY IN FAVOR OF A MORE EQUAL STATE-TO-STATE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TAIWAN AND THE MAINLAND. A POLL PUBLISHED
SUNDAY OF MORE THAN ONE THOUSAND ISLAND RESIDENTS SUGGESTS 73
PERCENT OF THEM SUPPORT PRESIDENT LEE'S DECISION. RESPONDENTS
SAID THEY FELT THAT CROSS-STRAIT RELATIONS WERE ALREADY BEING
CONDUCTED ON A SPECIAL STATE-TO-STATE BASIS.
POLITICAL ANALYSTS SAY THE POLL RESULTS ARE A VICTORY FOR
PRESIDENT LEE'S ADMINISTRATION WHICH HAS BEEN FRUSTRATED BY
CHINA'S ATTEMPTS TO ISOLATE THE ISLAND DIPLOMATICALLY.
IN HONG KONG -- JUST TWO YEARS AFTER RETURNING TO CHINESE RULE
-- THE MAJORITY OF RESIDENTS APPEAR TO BE SIDING WITH BEIJING IN
THE DISPUTE. A SURVEY LAST WEEK BY HONG KONG UNIVERSITY FOUND
MORE THAN 50 PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS DID NOT SUPPORT TAIWAN'S
CHANGE IN POLICY TOWARD CHINA. NEITHER DOES THE HONG KONG CHIEF
EXECUTIVE TUNG CHEE-HWA.
/// TUNG ACT ///
WHAT MR. LEE TENG-HUI SAID WAS UNFORTUNATE AND UNWISE
BECAUSE I BELIEVE THE REUNIFICATION OF THE ENTIRE
COUNTRY (CHINA) IS SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN AND
THAT CANNOT BE STOPPED.
/// END ACT ///
PROFESSOR JOSEPH CHENG WITH HONG KONG CHINESE UNIVERSITY SAYS
PEOPLE'S ATTITUDES IN THE TERRITORY HAVE CHANGED SINCE THE
TRANSFER OF SOVEREIGNTY IN 1997. MR. CHENG SAYS NOW A GROWING
NUMBER OF HONG KONG PEOPLE APPEAR TO BE MORE SUPPORTIVE OF
CHINA'S STANCE.
/// CHENG ACT ///
HONG KONG PEOPLE, FROM THEIR OWN INTEREST POINT OF VIEW,
CERTAINLY SUPPORT TAIWAN PEOPLE'S DESIRE TO MAINTAIN THE
STATUS QUO. HOWEVER HONG KONG PEOPLE ARE NOW MORE
INFLUENCED BY THE THEME OF REUNIFICATION. THEY ALSO HAVE
A STRONGER IDENTIFICATION WITH THE CHINESE NATION, WITH
THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, ESPECIALLY IN RECENT
YEARS. SO THE GENERAL RESPONSE IN HONG KONG TO TAIWAN'S
POLICY CHANGE HAS BEEN UNFAVORABLE.
/// END ACT ///
PROFESSOR CHENG SAYS MOST HONG KONG PEOPLE DO NOT WANT TO SEE
TAIWAN EMERGING AS AN INDEPENDENT STATE IN THE FORMAL SENSE. BUT
HE MAINTAINS THEY WANT TO SEE BETTER TAIWAN-CHINA RELATIONS FOR
THE SAKE OF PEACE AND STABILITY IN THE REGION.
CHINA HAS OFFERED TAIWAN NEARLY THE SAME AUTONOMOUS STATUS IT
GRANTED HONG KONG AFTER THE HANDOVER FROM BRITISH TO CHINESE
RULE. TAIWAN HAS REJECTED THE SO-CALLED"ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS"
OFFER. (SIGNED)
NEB/CS/JO
19-Jul-99 6:06 AM EDT (1006 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
