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DATE=4/25/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=TAIWAN / LORD (L ONLY)
NUMBER=2-261701
BYLINE=MIKE KITCHEN
DATELINE=TAIPEI
INTERNET=YES
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO:  Former U-S ambassador to China Winston 
Lord has just wound up a fact-finding trip to 
Taiwan and is now headed to China for talks with 
Chinese officials.  Michael Kitchen reports from 
Taipei that during his stay in Taiwan, Mr. Lord 
spoke with Taiwan's political leaders and urged 
Taiwan and China to show restraint and not to let 
tensions escalate. 
TEXT:  Mr. Lord and the delegation of former U-S 
officials and scholars travelling with him met 
with President-elect Chen Shui-Bian and leaders 
of Taiwan's main political parties during their 
visit here.
In remarks to reporters in Taiwan, Mr. Lord said 
he hoped the delegation's tour would contribute 
to a better atmosphere between China and Taiwan, 
but he was quick to add that the delegation's 
visit was private and not meant to represent 
official U-S views.
The trip comes amid rising tensions between the 
two sides.  Before Mr. Lord's departure for 
Beijing, Taiwan's defense ministry announced that 
it was monitoring what it described as irregular 
Chinese naval and air movements in the area.
A ministry spokesman said that the maneuvers 
could be a prelude to large-scale military 
exercises to be held after Mr. Chen assumes the 
presidency on May 20.
In 1996, China held military exercises in what 
was interpreted as an effort to intimidate 
Taiwan's electorate during the nation's first 
presidential elections.
Some press reports in Taiwan are saying that 
Beijing would hold back on such war games if Mr. 
Chen concedes that Taiwan is a part of china in 
his inaugural speech.
During his meeting with Mr. Lord, President-elect 
Chen is reported to have said that Beijing's 
threats and wrangling over the one-China 
principle have sown the seeds of mistrust between 
the two sides.
Mr. Chen said that this mistrust was at the root 
of all tensions between Taiwan and China.
Most of the people travelling with Mr. Lord are 
members of the national committee on American 
foreign policy, a Washington research group that 
has long encouraged multiple tracks of 
negotiation between China and Taiwan.
The group is now en route to Shanghai and Beijing 
to meet with Chinese officials in efforts to 
gauge their views on cross-strait relations. 
(Signed)
NEB/MK/KL 
25-Apr-2000 13:17 PM EDT (25-Apr-2000 1717 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.