DATE=10/14/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=TAIWAN / CHINA (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-255054
BYLINE=DERRICK MCEHLERON
DATELINE=TAIPEI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Taiwan's top cross-strait negotiator has
offered to visit Beijing to help break the
bilateral deadlock and is encouraging his Chinese
counterpart to visit the island. Derrick
McEhleron has more from Taipei.
TEXT: Taiwanese statesman Koo Chen Fu is offering
to return to China -- exactly one year after his
historic visit -- in a bid to help break the
current impasse in relations between China and
Taiwan.
Mr. Koo is chairman of Taiwan's semi-official
Straits Exchange Program. He says he also is
encouraging his mainland counterpart, Wang Dao
Han, to visit Taiwan.
Mr. Wang was scheduled to visit the island this
fall. That trip was called off in July, after
Taiwan President Lee Teng Hui insisted China and
Taiwan negotiate their differences as two equal
states.
President Lee's remarks provoked China to respond
with a barrage of verbal attacks, demanding the
statement be revoked. China contends Taiwan is
merely a renegade province of China.
Chinese officials have said -- unless Taiwan
changes its position -- Mr. Wang's visit would be
called off.
Mr. Koo, Thursday, held to the Taiwanese position
the state-to-state statement cannot be retracted
because it reflects current cross-straight
relations.
It was one year ago the two political rivals met
at the Peace Hotel in Shanghai -- the first high-
level bilateral meeting since China fired
missiles into the Taiwan Strait in 1996.
The talks failed to yield a breakthrough, but
both sides agreed to meet again.
Historically, Beijing has refused to rule out the
use of force to bring Taiwan under Beijing's
control. (signed)
NEB/DM/GC / wd
15-Oct-1999 01:20 AM EDT (15-Oct-1999 0520 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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