DATE=12/10/1999
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
TITLE=YEARENDER- CHINA - TAIWAN
NUMBER=5-44954
BYLINE=STEPHANIE HO
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Taiwan's leaders infuriated China in 1999,
putting cross-strait relations into the deep freeze.
The increased tensions began with a call in July from
President Lee Teng-hui for the Chinese government to
treat the island as an equal state. V-O-A Beijing
correspondent Stephanie Ho traveled to Taiwan several
times this past year, and looks back on developments
in the tense cross-strait relationship.
TEXT: Taiwan's President Lee Teng-hui has said he
will not back down from his description of special
state-to-state relations between the island and the
Chinese mainland.
// LEE CHINESE ACT - IN FULL, FADE OUT //
The Taiwanese president says he believes his words
reflect reality, and that it does not matter how
others interpret them.
The Chinese Nationalist government fled to Taiwan in
1949, after losing a civil war to the Communists.
Beijing considers the island part of Chinese
territory, and has vowed to use force to take it back
if necessary.
The Chinese government immediately reacted to Mr.
Lee's statement with strong condemnation. Beijing
postponed the visit of its top negotiator to Taiwan
and said cross-strait talks could not continue until
Taipei retracted its call for special state-to-state
relations.
But by the end of the year, Chinese Foreign Ministry
spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue indicated that Beijing's
earlier wrath had somewhat mellowed. When asked to
comment on reports that Taiwan wants to step up its
defense capability to counter a possible attack from
China, Ms. Zhang -- speaking through an interpreter --
refrained from the Chinese government's usual lengthy
diatribe.
// ZHANG INTERPRETER ACT //
I only want to point out here that we hope the Taiwan
side can do more things conducive to the development
of cross-straits relations, to the peace and stability
in Asia.
// END ACT //
Taiwan's top official on China -- Su Chi, the head of
the Mainland Affairs Council -- says President Lee's
comments are aimed at giving the island more status in
its negotiations with the mainland.
// SU ACT //
It's our effort to level the playing field. We want
to engage in political negotiations with the mainland.
But how can anyone expect us to talk lying down with
Beijing?
// END ACT //
Mr. Su adds that there is more at stake than just the
relationship between Taiwan and China. He says the
bigger picture includes the United States, which China
sees as Taiwan's biggest protector.
A defense analyst in Taiwan, Andrew Yang, says the
Taiwan government used to count on U-S support. But
he says because Washington and Taipei do not always
have the same interests, many Taiwanese people feel
betrayed.
// YANG ACT //
We are a democratic society. People are peace-loving
people. And the U-S is the arch fighter for
democracy. It is really unthinkable for people to
watch the United States moving close to Beijing, not
close to Taipei. So, there is already a lot of
misunderstanding between Taipei and Washington.
// END ACT //
Reunification and territorial integrity have been two
main themes in Chinese government pronouncements.
The head of China's Parliament, Li Peng, recently told
a Japanese newspaper the country's reunification with
Hong Kong, in 1997, and Macau, in December 1999, will
definitely have a large influence on Taiwan. The
island is the largest remaining piece of land claimed
by Beijing as part of Chinese territory. (SIGNED)
NEB/HO/FC/PLM
10-Dec-1999 06:18 AM EDT (10-Dec-1999 1118 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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