DATE=  10/7/97

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-220942

TITLE=CHINA/TAIWAN (L-ONLY)

 BYLINE=STEPHANIE HO

DATELINE=XIAMEN, FUJIAN

CONTENT=

VOICED AT: 



INTRO:  "WHAT TO DO WITH TAIWAN?" IS ONE OF THE OUTSTANDING 

ISSUES THAT IS TAKING HIGHER PRIORITY IN CHINA, FOLLOWING THE 

RETURN IN JULY OF HONG KONG TO CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY.  V-O-A'S 

STEPHANIE HO REPORTS THAT CHINA VIEWS THE ISLAND'S ATTEMPTS TO 

GAIN MORE POLITICAL RECOGNITION AS PART OF AN AIM TO ESTABLISH 

INDEPENDENCE.



TEXT:  CHINA RESPONDED WITH EXPECTED DISPLEASURE AT TAIWANESE 

VICE PRESIDENT LIEN CHAN'S ONGOING TRIP TO EUROPE.



AT A REGULAR BRIEFING TUESDAY, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN

SHEN GUOFANG SAID THE TAIWAN ISSUE IS RELATED TO CHINA'S 

TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY.



THE CHINESE SPOKESMAN SAID BEIJING VIEWS MR. LIEN'S VISIT TO ANY 

COUNTRY THAT HAS DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH CHINA AS A SERIOUS 

MATTER -- SAYING SUCH A VISIT WILL BRING SERIOUS, THOUGH 

UNSPECIFIED, CONSEQUENCES.



NONE OF THE COUNTRIES MR. LIEN IS REPORTED TO BE VISITING HAVE  

RELATIONS WITH TAIWAN -- WHERE THE NATIONALISTS FLED AFTER LOSING

THE CHINESE CIVIL WAR IN 1949 TO THE COMMUNISTS.



CHINA CLAIMS TAIWAN AS A RENEGADE PROVINCE AND ACCUSES TAIWANESE 

LEADERS OF USING TRIPS OVERSEAS TO TRY TO PROMOTE THE ISLAND AS 

AN INDEPENDENT COUNTRY.



IN A SPEECH TO THE RECENTLY CONCLUDED 15TH PARTY COMMUNIST 

CONGRESS, CHINESE PRESIDENT JIANG ZEMIN REAFFIRMED BEIJING'S 

COMMITMENT TO A PEACEFUL REUNIFICATION, BUT POINTEDLY REFUSED TO 

RULE OUT THE USE OF FORCE, IF NECESSARY.



THE CHINESE PRESIDENT ALSO SAID HE HOPES TALKS BETWEEN BOTH SIDES

CAN BE RESTARTED SOON.



                 // JIANG AND TRANSLATOR ACT // 



         ON THE PREMISE THAT THERE IS ONLY ONE CHINA, WE ARE 

         PREPARED TO TALK ABOUT ANY MATTER.  ALL OPINIONS AND 

         PROPOSALS CAN BE PUT FORWARD AS LONG AS THEY ARE IN THE 

         INTEREST OF REUNIFICATION.  THE QUESTION OF THE 

         REUNIFICATION OF THE MOTHERLAND SHOULD BE SOLVED BY US 

         CHINESE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE TAIWAN STRAITS.



                          // END ACT //



IN TAIWAN, LEADERS HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR MORE POLITICAL 

RECOGNITION  TO MATCH THE ISLAND'S GLOBAL ECONOMIC PRESENCE.  

THIS HAS LED TO THE  EXISTENCE OF THE OPPOSITION DEMOCRATIC 

PROGRESSIVE PARTY -- WHICH ADVOCATES TAIWAN INDEPENDENCE 

OUTRIGHT.



AT THE SAME TIME, ONE AMERICAN EXPERT SAYS PEOPLE ON TAIWAN MAY 

BE DEVELOPING THEIR OWN SENSE OF IDENTITY, SEPARATE FROM CHINA.  

DAVID LAMPTON, PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF U-S-CHINA 

RELATIONS, ALSO BELIEVES THAT TAIWAN MAY BE ONE OF THE MAIN 

ISSUES STILL TO BE RESOLVED BETWEEN CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES.



                        // LAMPTON ACT //



         THAT'S A PRETTY COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURE -- WHEN YOU GET THE 

         IDENTITY OF A PEOPLE CHANGING.  YOU HAVE A NEW 

         CONVERGENCE OF POLITICAL FORCES AROUND A PARTY THAT 

         STILL HAS IN ITS PLATFORM INDEPENDENCE. AND U-S POLICY 

         AND CHINESE POLICY IS BUILT ON A PREMISE THAT SEEMS TO 

         BE FALLING APART -- NAMELY THAT THE PEOPLE IN TAIWAN AND

         CHINA CONSIDER THEMSELVES CHINESE.



                          // END ACT //



MR. LAMPTON POINTS TO A RECENT TAIWANESE POLL WHERE THE NUMBER OF

PEOPLE WHO SAY THEY CONSIDER THEMSELVES TAIWANESE WENT UP.  THIS 

FIGURE WAS MUCH HIGHER THAN THOSE ON THE ISLAND WHO SEE 

THEMSELVES AS CHINESE.  (SIGNED)



NEB/HO/PCF/RRM  



07-Oct-97 12:33 PM EDT (1633 UTC)

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Source: Voice of America

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