DATE=4/8/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CHINA-TAIWAN (L ONLY)
NUMBER=2-261072
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=

VOICED AT:


INTRO:  China has accused Taiwan's Vice-President-
elect of being a pro-independence extremist and is 
warning the island's new leaders against any move 
toward formal independence.  VOA correspondent Roger 
Wilkison reports the attack on Annette Lu signals an 
end to Beijing's moderate wait-and-see attitude toward 
the incoming administration of President-elect Chen 
Shui-bian, who is due to take office in six weeks.


TEXT:  The attack on Taiwan's new leadership was 
launched by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State 
Council, China's cabinet.  A statement issued late 
Friday and published in the state-owned media Saturday 
describes Vice-President-elect Annette Lu as "the scum 
of the nation", an extremist and a typical Taiwan 
independence element.

China has been wary of Ms. Lu -a Harvard-educated 
lawyer- because of her pro-independence feelings.  
But, until now, it had not singled her out for any 
attack because -like President-elect Chen- she backed 
away from that position during the recent election 
campaign.  China's restrained attitude toward the 
nominally pro-independence victors of the election has 
been restrained, and that has won it praise in 
Washington.

What appears to have angered Beijing was an interview 
Ms. Lu gave Hong Kong news media in which she is 
quoted as saying that history has made China and 
Taiwan distant relatives despite their geographical 
proximity.  China resents any assertion of Taiwan's 
distinct identity.  Though China's ruling Communists 
have never governed Taiwan, Beijing regards the island 
as a wayward province that must be brought under its 
control.  

Ms. Lu also appears to have angered China by her harsh 
criticisms of its pre-election threats against the 
island and by her advocacy of measures to counter 
Beijing's attempts to isolate Taiwan diplomatically.

A commentary run in major newspapers by the state-
owned Xinhua news agency Saturday accuses Ms. Lu of 
being an incurable independence agitator who incites 
Taiwanese to hate their compatriots on the mainland.

China also had words of warning for Mr. Chen.  The 
Liberation Army Daily -the military newspaper- demands 
that he embrace Beijing's one-China policy -which 
considers Taiwan as part of China- as a pre-condition 
for any cross-strait dialogue.  Mr. Chen has said he 
is willing to talk with Beijing about the one-China 
policy, but he has so far refused to buy Beijing's 
line that Taiwan is part of China.  (signed)

NEB/rw/plm 



08-Apr-2000 06:10 AM EDT (08-Apr-2000 1010 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.