DATE=3/23/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CHINA-TAIWAN-US (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-260501
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: China has declared its opposition to a
suggestion that Taiwanese president-elect Chen Shui-
bian visit the United States before his inauguration
next May. As VOA correspondent Roger Wilkison
reports, Beijing says any such visit would contravene
the "one China" principle.
TEXT: The idea that Mr. Chen should visit the United
States is being proposed by Alaska Republican Senator
Frank Murkowski. Mr. Murkowski suggests that, if Mr.
Chen travels to the United States before he takes
office, he will not go in any official capacity.
China disagrees with that position. Chinese Foreign
Ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi says Mr. Chen should not
visit the United States in any capacity.
/////SUN ACTUALITY (IN CHINESE)/////
Mr. Sun says countries that recognize China
diplomatically are required to adhere to the one China
principle, whereby Taiwan is considered a province of
China. According to Mr. Sun, those countries should
honor their commitment to China and not allow Chen
Shui-bian to visit. Mr. Sun says this is of crucial
importance to what he calls the solid development of
relations between China and those countries.
At a regular news briefing, Mr. Sun argued that
Taiwan's people want reunification despite public
opinion surveys on the island that show 80 percent of
the population opposes Beijing's "one country-two
systems" formula. That formula was applied to Hong
Kong and Macau and grants the two former colonial
territories considerable autonomy.
But if the Taiwanese people support reunification, Mr.
Sun was asked, why did they vote for a leader whose
party supports independence?
/////SUN ACTUALITY (IN CHINESE)/////
Mr. Sun replied that what he is hearing is that people
on Taiwan are calling more for reunification and
opposing independence.
The suggestion by Senator Murkowski that Mr. Chen
visit the United States recalls Beijing's furious
reaction to a 1995 visit to the United States by
Taiwan's outgoing president, Lee Teng-hui. Although
it was billed as an unofficial visit -- because Mr.
Lee was attending a class reunion at Cornell
University -- Beijing retaliated by suspending semi-
official contacts with Taiwan, recalling its
ambassador to the United States and conducting months
of war games and missile tests near the island.
(SIGNED)
NEB/RW/FC
23-Mar-2000 05:20 AM EDT (23-Mar-2000 1020 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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