DATE=7/20/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-251953
TITLE=CHINA / TAIWAN (L)
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: CHINA IS DESCRIBING TAIWANESE PRESIDENT LEE TENG-HUI'S
LATEST REJECTION OF THE IDEA THAT HIS ISLAND IS PART OF CHINA AS
A DANGEROUS STEP. CORRESPONDENT ROGER WILKISON REPORTS MR. LEE
SAYS ONLY WHEN TAIWAN CAN REUNITE WITH A DEMOCRATIC MAINLAND, CAN
ONE CHINA BE A POSSIBILITY.
TEXT: MR. LEE HAD BEEN EXPECTED TO CLARIFY HIS CONTROVERSIAL
REMARK 10-DAYS AGO THAT TALKS BETWEEN CHINA AND TAIWAN MUST BE
CONDUCTED ON THE BASIS OF TWO EQUAL STATES.
HIS SCRAPPING OF THE "ONE CHINA" CONCEPT -- UNDER WHICH THE
MAINLAND AND TAIWAN ARE CONSIDERED SEPARATE POLITICAL ENTITIES IN
ONE INDIVISIBLE NATION -- INFURIATED BEIJING, WHICH HAS BEEN
THREATENING MILITARY ACTION IF TAIWAN DECLARES FORMAL
INDEPENDENCE.
IN A SPEECH (TUESDAY) TO TAIPEI'S ROTARY CLUB, MR. LEE DID NOT
BACK AWAY FROM HIS STAND. HE SAID ONE CHINA DOES NOT EXIST NOW,
BUT IT COULD COME INTO BEING ONLY AFTER THE MAINLAND BECOMES A
DEMOCRACY. AT THE SAME TIME, HE SOUGHT TO REASSURE BEIJING THAT
TAIWAN IS NOT SEEKING OUTRIGHT INDEPENDENCE.
THAT DID NOT SWAY BEIJING. CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESWOMAN
ZHANG QIYUE -- SPEAKING THROUGH AN INTERPRETER -- SAYS MR. LEE
IS ATTEMPTING TO SPLIT TAIWAN FROM CHINA, AND THAT WILL NOT BE
TOLERATED.
// INTERPRETER ACTUALITY //
WE HAVE POINTED OUT THAT THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS STEP. AND WE
HAVE ALSO REPEATED ON MANY OCCASIONS THAT THE TAIWAN AUTHORITIES
SHOULD NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT'S DETERMINATION
TO SAFEGUARD (CHINA'S) DIGNITY, TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY, AND
NATIONAL UNITY AND NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE COURAGE AND THE POWER TO
OPPOSE THE SEPARATION OF TAIWAN.
// END ACTUALITY //
MS. ZHANG SAYS BEIJING HOPES MR. LEE WILL REALIZE HE HAS GONE TO
THE BRINK AND SHOULD HALT HIS ATTEMPTS TO SPLIT TAIWAN FROM
CHINA.
TAIWAN HAS ENJOYED DE-FACTO INDEPENDENCE SINCE 1949, WHEN THE
REMNANTS OF CHINA'S NATIONALIST GOVERNMENT FLED TO THE ISLAND
AFTER LOSING A CIVIL WAR TO THE COMMUNISTS. TAIWAN HAS SINCE
BECOME A MULTI-PARTY DEMOCRACY, AND MR. LEE CLAIMS HIS GOVERNMENT
IS THE ONLY RIGHTFUL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ISLAND'S PEOPLE. THAT
VIEW IS NOT SHARED BY BEIJING.
// INTERPRETER ACTUALITY //
NO MATTER HOW THEY WERE ELECTED IN TAIWAN, IT CANNOT CHANGE THE
FACT THAT TAIWAN IS A PART OF CHINA. AND IT CANNOT CHANGE THE
FACT THAT TAIWAN LEADERS ARE LEADERS OF A LOCALITY OF CHINA.
// END ACTUALITY //
CHINA'S STATE-CONTROLLED NEWS MEDIA HAVE STEPPED UP THEIR
PROPAGANDA WAR AGAINST TAIWAN, SHOWING PHOTOGRAPHS AND TELEVISION
FOOTAGE OF TROOPS ENGAGED IN MILITARY EXERCISES. A POLL BY A
GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED INSTITUTE SAID SEVEN-OF-EIGHT CHINESE
SUPPORT THE OPTION TO USE FORCE, IF NEED BE, TO RESOLVE THE
TAIWAN ISSUE. (SIGNED)
NEB/RW/GC/JO/RAE
20-Jul-99 7:38 AM EDT (1138 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
