Subjects:
¡§Forum for young scholars,¡¨ Chang¡¦s visa to Hong Kong; Comparison
of PRC 1993 and 2000 White Papers.
MAC Vice Chairman Chong-Pin
Lin
at the March
10, 2000 Press Conference
His
Report:
There are four points in my report today.
1. The ¡§Cross-strait
Forum for Young Scholars,¡¨ sponsored by National Taiwan Normal
University under the auspices of the Chinese Development Fund, will
begin from March 13 to 21. The ¡§Symposium on Cross-strait Higher
Education Development and Reform¡¨ will be held from March 13-14 at the
international conference hall of the university's College of Education.
These activities are parts of the ¡§Cross-strait Forum for Young
Scholars Program¡¨ designed in 1998. This year, the programs include an
invitation forum for scholars aged below 40 with doctoral degrees at
universities or research institutions on Mainland China to meet with
young scholars on our side. Scholars from Fudan University, Beijing
University, Xiamen University, Qinghua University, East China
Teachers¡¦ University, Beijing Normal University, Southwest Teachers¡¦
University, Sichuan University, and the China Academic Degree and
Graduate Education Institution are invited. On the Taiwan side, scholars
from Chungcheng University, National Chengchi University, Chinan
University, Shih Shin University, Tamkang University, National Taiwan
Normal University, Taipei Teachers¡¦ University, and Taichung
Teachers¡¦ University are invited.
2. Regarding the visa
for Mr. Chang Liang-jen, previously deputy secretary-general of the
Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), to assume office as representative to
Hong Kong, I would like to make the following report. In early January
this year, our side contacted the Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region (HKSAR) government in hopes of swiftly facilitating Mr. Chang¡¦s
visa application to assume office in Hong Kong. However, in late
January, when our side filed the application, the HKSAR government said
¡§drop it.¡¨ So, it was not our side that did not file an application,
nor the other side that did not receive it. It was simply that the HKSAR
government declined to accept it. I want to be clear on this point. Our
government hopes to maintain and increase Taiwan-Hong Kong exchanges.
So, we insist that our representative office be able to provide services
facilitating travel between Taiwan and Hong Kong and promoting bilateral
exchanges. We hope the HKSAR government can handle this case in a
reasonable manner.
3. Here is a simple
table with a comparison of key terms appeared in the 1993 PRC White
Paper and the 2000 PRC White Paper.
NO |
Key terms |
2000 White Paper (A) |
1993 White Paper
(B) |
A/B |
1 |
¡§One-China principle¡¨ |
32 |
12 |
2.7 |
2 |
Blame Taiwan for ¡§separation¡¨ |
31 |
5 |
6.2 |
3 |
Peaceful reunification |
27 |
15 |
1.8 |
4 |
Sovereignty are inalienable |
17 |
3 |
5.7 |
5 |
China¡¦s sovereignty |
9 |
4 |
2.25 |
6 |
Struggle |
8 |
6 |
1.3 |
7 |
One country, two systems |
6 |
6 |
1 |
8 |
Illustration on the position against separation
or separatist |
5 |
4 |
1.25 |
9 |
Rhetoric
claim that PRC having the sovereignty over Taiwan |
4 |
1 |
4 |
10 |
Use
of force |
4 |
0 |
0 to 4 |
11 |
Negotiations
on an equal footing |
3 |
1 (equal negotiations) 4 (negotiations) 1 (peaceful negotiations) 2(contacting, negotiation) |
3 0.75 3 1.5 |
12 |
China¡¦s
internal affairs |
3 |
7 |
0.4 |
13
|
Rhetoric
claim that Taiwan issues are China¡¦s internal affairs |
3 |
3 |
1 |
14 |
Rhetoric
claim that Taiwan is a local authority |
1 |
0 |
0-1 |
If you read through the entire context, you will find it very
interesting. Of course, we hope the two sides can have harmonious,
mutually supportive, and friendly interaction. Our side is also
pro-active regarding cross-strait negotiations.
4.
During mid-July 1999 to mid-February 2000, there
were 173 times of the Hong Kong media reported or printed news and
analyzed the PRC¡¦s possible military actions against Taiwan, with a
total of 259 story items. (One report might combine various news items.)
By content, these stories can be grouped into six categories: evaluation
of military forces on the two sides (28%), new types of weapons or
troops (22%), analysis of military tactics for invading Taiwan (17%),
the PLA¡¦s determination against the statement of a ¡§special
state-to-state relationship¡¨ (15%), military exercises (13%), and PRC
military zones (5).
This can be read together with another story, ¡§Characteristics
of the PRC¡¦s Psychological Warfare,¡¨ published by Mainland Works
Briefing Center. In the past three years, the PLA¡¦s research into
high-tech warfare (information warfare or acupuncture warfare) included
the study of psychological warfare. Psychological warfare, closely
related to high-tech warfare, focuses on the manipulation of media. The
traditional warfare by the PLA is a two-pronged tactics, mixing the use
of the real with the non-existent. By objective standards, the PLA is
still unable to launch a precision attack. (Its strike may incur
tremendous negative effects.)
Questions
and Answers:
PRC¡¦s
Accession to the WTO
Q. In its White Paper, the PRC mentioned the
schedule for the two sides to accede to the World Trade Organization (WTO),
possibly in June or July this year. The PRC may enter WTO a bit ahead of
us. What is your view?
A. We have no further information. We just hope
that WTO members can support us to accede to the WTO at the same time or
at a time very close to the PRC¡¦s admission, in a short interval like
¡§waiting for a cup of coffee.¡¨ Maybe Beijing has a different view.
But, what most people expect is what you just said. We have no
information about the latest development, since Beijing is still having
talks with the European Union and other countries.
U.S.
President Bill Clinton¡¦s Reaction toward PRC¡¦s White Paper
Q. U.S. President Bill
Clinton just mentioned that the PRC White Paper carries three positive
messages ¡V reference of parity between the two sides for five times,
no insistence on Taiwan¡¦s retraction of the ¡§special state-to-state
relationship¡¨, and flexibility on cross-strait talks. What is your
view?
A. President Clinton
mentioned that cross-strait issues must be peacefully resolved and the
way to resolve them must be supported by our people, with which we
strongly agree. As for his concerns on the resumption of cross-strait
talks, we have been working toward that goal. After Beijing released the
White Paper, the Taiwan people still welcome (Chairman of the
Association for Relations across the Taiwan Straits) Mr. Wang Daohan to
visit Taiwan in order to resume cross-strait talks. Therefore, no matter
who will be elected president on March 18, and which team will handle
cross-strait relations, public opinion will remain the same. In other
words, the supportive attitude of the entire society and people to
resume talks will not change overnight. As for Mr. Clinton¡¦s three
observations, we need to study further.
Cross-strait
Hotline Mechanism Needs to be Established
Q. After the two sides
expressed good-will messages, is it still possible to establish a
cross-strait hotline mechanism before or immediately after the election
in order not to misjudge each other¡¦s situation?
A. I personally brought up a proposal for the
two sides to establish a hotline mechanism about 10 years ago. Vice
President Lien Chan mentioned this recently. I think this is a very
positive goal. I hope more people will support this plan.
Future
Possible Cross-strait Military Confrontation
Q. According to research
done by high-level officials at the Presidential Office, the White Paper
mentioned that the PRC will ¡§never sit by and watch a divided
China.¡¨ ¡§Never sit by and watch¡¨ is always a premonition of
Beijing¡¦s military action. Therefore, it is likely that cross-strait
military confrontation may escalate. What is your view?
A. Yes. Minister of
National Defense (MOND) Tang Fei said that our side has not seen
large-scale military maneuvers. We have to treat this matter seriously,
so we have read it with extreme care. In my personal view, some factors
forced Beijing to do something (take action or make a statement), but
there are other factors restricting it from overreacting. Otherwise, it
(overreaction) will backfire. The PRC must deal with the current
situation within a space under a ceiling and above a floor.
Progress
on Direct Transport for Religious Purposes
Q. How does direct
transport for religious purposes progress? Can this be realized this
year?
A. ¡§Direct transport
for religious purposes¡¨ is not transport along a straight line, but in
a curve. No application for direct transport has been made, and in the
future it will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. As far as I can
tell, the last application was made within the permitted area, not
beyond the policy line.
Q. You just mentioned
that no matter what the election results are, people on Taiwan still
welcome Mr. Wang to visit Taiwan. Will the PRC calmly accept our
people¡¦s decision? Will the PRC take any irrational action because our
selection is not what it wishes to see?
A. We will not decide
whether they can accept our decision or not. But, our people have great
sincerity to welcome Mr. Wang, and the government is moving toward the
same goal. We have shown our goodwill, and we are waiting for
Beijing¡¦s response. We hope the PRC can deal with cross-strait issues
with a win-win or multiple-win attitude.
Significance
of the Keywords in the 2000 PRC White Paper
Q. Your table quantify
the keywords in the 1993 PRC White Paper and the 2000 PRC White Paper.
What actually are you trying to say?
A. I have two statements to make. First, strong
words are used more often in the recent White Paper (such as one-China
principle, the use of force.) Second, strong words are used in this
White Paper many times more than in the previous one. We just urge
Beijing to say more nice words, and do more nice deeds.
Cross-strait
Talks on Unification
Q. The Hong-Kong based
Ming Pao reported that high-ranking Beijing officials hope that
cross-strait talks on unification can be initiated within three years.
If Taiwan declares independence, the PRC will resort to immediate
military action. What is your view?
A. We hope the two sides
can promptly resume cross-strait talks, and not necessarily wait for
three years. We hope Mr. Wang can visit here at an early time.
Negotiation is a process, and the results should be open. If one side
determines the result already, and forces the other side to accept it,
and to accept it in a given time frame, this will cause unnecessary
trouble for the negotiation process. The post-Cold War era is an age of
negotiation and communication. ¡§Fist talks¡¨ is an improper strategy.
We have extended our warm hand, but Mainland China still holds its
fists.
The
MAC
News Briefing is an English transcript of the weekly news
conference held by the Mainland Affairs Council. We try our best to
provide an accurate English translation. In case of discrepancy, the
Chinese text rules.
¡@
NEWSLETTER
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