DATE=3/20/2000
TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP
TITLE=TAIWAN'S ELECTIONS
NUMBER=6-11735
BYLINE=KEVIN LYNCH
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
INTERNET=YES
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Taiwan's voters elected a former political
dissident as president on Saturday, bringing an end to
more than half a century of rule by the Nationalist
Party. The president-elect, Chen Shui-bian, won 39
percent of the vote in three-way race. The
opposition's victory was made possible by a split in
the Nationalist Party, which led one of its leaders to
mount an independent candidacy. With his victory, Mr.
Chen, a long-time advocate of independence for Taiwan,
has brought renewed attention to relations between
Taiwan and China. Here with a closer look and some
excerpts is ________ with today's U-S Opinion Roundup.
TEXT: For many years, Mr. Chen and his Democratic
Progressive Party called for independence from the
mainland. But the president-elect, who will take
office on May 20, has recently moderated his position,
saying that no declaration of independence is needed
because Taiwan is already sovereign. The Los Angeles
Times says that by electing Mr. Chen, the island of 22
million people enters a period of uncertainty. The
paper writes:
VOICE: [Mr. Chen] should understand that the
United States will not support any overt moves
toward Taiwanese independence. Peace between
Taiwan and China depends on the careful
preservation of the ambiguous "one China"
policy. The question of unification should be
settled by negotiation. Mr. Chen has a
difficult task ahead. His mandate comes from
only 39 percent of the popular vote, just
slightly more than the populist reformer James
Soong, who came in second place with 37 percent
of the vote. The Nationalist Lien Chan was
third at 23 percent. The results do not give
Chen a mandate for radical changes.
TEXT: The Washington Times, unlike the Los Angeles
Times, is very enthusiastic about Mr. Chen's victory.
The paper writes:
VOICE: Taiwan proved its democratic credentials
on Saturday. It was only the second time in the
island nation's history that voters had the
opportunity to choose their president, 1996
being the culmination of a process of transition
from authoritarian rule to popular democracy
that goes back to the early 1980s.... The
rhetoric emanating from Beijing in the days and
weeks before the election was hysterical and
threatening in tone.... Beijing's worst
scenario was precisely that Mr. Chen would win,
given [his party's] history of advocating
Taiwanese independence. For now, it seems that
both sides of the Taiwan Straits are taking a
wait-and-see attitude and keeping their powder
dry [not rushing to military action]. Mr. Chen
immediately sought peace and called for the
beginning of reconciliation with the mainland.
/// OPT /// TEXT: The New York Times says the
election of Mr. Chen may have inaugurated a period of
dangerous uncertainty in Taiwan's relations with
mainland China. The paper writes:
VOICE: Beijing's recent military threats toward
Taiwan were aimed primarily at defeating Mr.
Chen, who first entered politics as an advocate
of Taiwanese independence. As a presidential
candidate, Mr. Chen wisely toned down his pro-
independence views. He should now move quickly
to affirm that he does not seek any change in
Taiwan's existing political status. Beijing
should respond by ending its military threats
and opening a dialogue with Mr. Chen after he
takes office in May.... [Leaders] in both
Taipei and Beijing will need to behave
responsibly in the weeks ahead. Washington,
which risks getting drawn into any new conflict,
needs to play a calming role. /// END OPT ///
TEXT: The Wall Street Journal, for its part, says the
United States can also play a calming role in the
relationship between Taiwan and China. The paper
writes:
VOICE: It will require some linguistic
creativity to come up with a formula that is
acceptable to both China and his
constituents.... The United States can play a
role ... by not treating Taiwan as an
embarrassing troublemaker and instead engaging
Mr. Chen as an equal partner. History
demonstrates that when the United States has
given Taiwan strong support, as when we sold the
island F-16 fighters, China has engaged in
cross-strait talks. When the United States has
appeared weak, as when Mr. Clinton endorsed
China's anti-independence policy, the mainland
has been emboldened to bully Taiwan.
TEXT: With that comment from the Wall Street Journal,
we conclude this sampling of U-S editorials on the
elections in Taiwan.
NEB/KL/JO
20-Mar-2000 14:01 PM EDT (20-Mar-2000 1901 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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