CEP0012 [07/27/99 18:08:52] PD5K6005.CEP-->SOFIA
07-27-99
PRESIDENT LEE AGREES TO US FRAMEWORK FOR CROSS-STRAIT ISSUE: BERGER
Washington, July 26 (CNA) US National Security Adviser Sandy
Berger said on Monday that ROC President Lee Teng-hui accepts the US
framework with respect to issues between the two sides of the Taiwan
Strait.
Berger made the statement during a question-and-answer session
following his speech at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Fielding questions on American Institute in Taiwan (AIT)
Chairman Richard Bush's just-concluded visit to Taiwan, Berger said
Bush expounded major elements of the US policy toward cross-strait
issues during his meeting with President Lee in Taipei.
Noting that the US government, from the president on down, has
made very clear its policy with respect to cross-strait issues,
Berger said the first and foremost principle is that it adheres to a
"one China" policy.
"Number two, we believe there ought to be peaceful resolution of
the issue; and number three, we believe that there ought to be
dialogue between Beijing and Taipei," Berger explained.
"Bush made these points to President Lee. My understanding is
that President Lee indicated that he accepted that framework. But I
think we still hope to see greater clarification from the Taiwanese
authorities with respect to the way forward," Berger said.
Berger's remarks that the Clinton administration still hopes to
see greater clarification from ROC authorities with regard to the
"special state-to-state" definition echoed US Secretary of State
Madeleine Albright's statements that explanations offered by ROC
officials about the "state-to-state" theory "thus far don't quite do
it."
Observers said the two US officials' remarks indicate that the
Clinton administration is still awaiting the top Taiwan negotiator
with Beijing Koo Chen-fu's response to his mainland counterpart Wang
Daohan's question about the controversial "special state-to-state"
theory.
Asked about the principles for the US involvement in regional
disputes based on humanitarianism, Berger said the basic principle
is reflected in Kosovo.
"I think the principle is that the United States and our allies
will not stand by and fail to act when, one, there is a systematic
effort by a government to eliminate an entire people, either genocide
or near genocide; two, we have a national interest engaged, at stake,
as we did clearly in Kosovo because of what would have followed in
Europe had we not ended this; and three, where we have a capacity to
act, as we did with NATO," Berger said.
"I think that situation may apply to other places, although I
think that we also want to build up the indigenous local capacity to
act in situations such as Rwanda.
"As you know, we have been training an African Crisis Response
Force from a number of nations in Africa where we have provided
peacekeeping training, and we're now up to about 4,000. It will give
Africa a greater capacity to act.
"I think you've seen in some of the more recent conflicts in
Africa, whether it's been Sierra Leone or the Congo, a willingness, a
readiness of African nations to take the lead.
"So I think how we respond is going to depend on the particular
circumstances. But I think that, as I said before, where there is a
clear, systematic effort by a government to eliminate an entire
people, where we have a national interest at stake, and where we have
the capacity to act effectively, I think we should act," Berger
added.
(By Jay Chen and Sofia Wu)
enditem
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