DATE= 10/6/97
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-37711
TITLE=TAIWAN / CHINA REUNIFICATION
BYLINE=CHRIS SIMKINS
DATELINE=TAIPEI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: GOVERNMENT LEADERS IN TAIWAN ARE CALLING FOR RESUMED
TALKS WITH CHINA ON CROSS-STRAIT RELATIONS. IN A BACKGROUND
REPORT, CORRESPONDENT CHRIS SIMKINS REPORTS FROM TAIPEI THE CALLS
COME AS LEADERS IN BEIJING HAVE ALSO EXPRESSED A WILLINGNESS TO
RESUME DIALOGUE WITH TAIWAN.
TEXT: AFTER A TWO-YEAR CHILL IN THE DIALOGUE BETWEEN CHINA AND
TAIWAN, THERE ARE NOW SIGNS BOTH SIDES WANT TO GET SOME KIND OF
TALKS STARTED AGAIN. TAIWAN'S NEW PREMIER, VINCENT SIEW, SAYS
THERE SHOULD BE A RESUMPTION OF POLITICAL TALKS BETWEEN TAIPEI
AND BEIJING, AIMED AT PAVING THE WAY FOR THE PEACEFUL
REUNIFICATION WITH MAINLAND CHINA.
DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES WAS SUSPENDED FOLLOWING TAIWAN
PRESIDENT LEE TENG-HUI'S CONTROVERSIAL VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES
IN 1995.
/// OPT /// BUT THE HISTORIC TENSIONS GO BACK NEARLY
FIVE-DECADES TO THE END OF THE CHINESE CIVIL WAR, WHEN COMMUNIST
TROOPS DEFEATED NATIONALIST FORCES LEAD BY CHIANG KAI SHEK.
TENS-OF-THOUSANDS OF HIS SUPPORTERS FLED THE MAINLAND FOR TAIWAN
IN 1949 AND SINCE THEN BEIJING HAS CONSIDERED THE ISLAND A
RENEGADE PROVINCE. /// END OPT ///
SINCE HONG KONG'S HANDOVER TO CHINESE RULE LAST JULY, CHINA HAS
STEPPED UP PRESSURE ON LEADERS IN TAIPEI TO ESTABLISH A PLAN FOR
RE-UNIFICATION WITH THE MAINLAND.
BEIJING HAS OFFERED TAIWAN A RE-UNIFICATION PROPOSAL CALLING FOR
A -- ONE COUNTRY TWO SYSTEMS -- FORMULA SIMILAR TO ONE UNDER
WHICH HONG KONG'S RETURN TO CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY WAS BASED.
CHINESE LEADERS SAY THEY WOULD GRANT TAIWAN THE SAME PRIVILEGES
AS HONG KONG, PERMITTING THE ISLAND A HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY AND
ALLOWING IT TO KEEP ITS SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, LEGAL, AND POLITICAL
SYSTEMS. AS PART OF THE PLAN, BEIJING REMAINS INSISTENT ON A ONE
CHINA POLICY AND TAIWAN MUST ACCEPT THE COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT'S
SOVEREIGNTY.
TAIWAN HAS REJECTED THE IDEA, SAYING POLITICAL LIBERALIZATION ON
THE MAINLAND MUST PRECEDE RE-UNIFICATION. IN A RECENT SPEECH
TAIWAN'S PREMIER SIEW SAID CROSS-STRAIT RELATIONS SHOULD PROCEED
IN LINE WITH A FIVE POINT PLAN. HE SAYS THE MAIN PART OF THE
PLAN SHOULD NOT FOCUS ON THE ISSUE OF SOVEREIGNTY. INSTEAD MR.
SIEW MAINTAINS THE TALKS SHOULD PROCEED ON AN EQUAL FOOTING WITH
THE GOAL OF BUILDING NORMAL RELATIONS.
POLITICAL ANALYST TIM DING, OF THE GALLUP-TAIWAN PUBLIC OPINION
RESEARCH ORGANIZATION, SAYS CHINA'S POLICY TOWARDS THE ISLAND IS
NOT LIKELY TO CHANGE MUCH.
/// DING ACTUALITY ///
THE RECENT ATMOSPHERE REFLECTS PRESSURE FROM WASHINGTON, D-C OR
REFLECTS CHINESE PRESIDENT JIANG ZEMIN'S FUTURE VISIT TO
WASHINGTON. I DO NOT BELIEVE THERE WILL BE SERIOUS NEGOTIATIONS
ON CROSS-STRAIT AFFAIRS, EVEN IF THEY HAVE LOW-LEVEL NEGOTIATIONS
VERY SOON. WE WOULD FIND OUT THAT BOTH SIDES ARE TOO FAR AWAY
AND TOO DISTANT THAT NO AGREEMENT COULD BE REACHED.
/// END ACTUALITY ///
OTHER TAIWANESE POLITICAL ANALYSTS SAY FOR CHINA TO ACHIEVE ITS
RE-UNIFICATION GOAL, LEADERS IN BEIJING MUST BE WILLING TO CHANGE
THEIR AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR TOWARDS THE ISLAND. CHINA STAGED
EIGHT-MONTHS OF LIVE-FIRE WAR GAMES AND MISSILE TESTS NEAR TAIWAN
BETWEEN 1995 AND 1996. BUT THE ANALYSTS SAY CHINA WILL CONTINUE
TO VIGOROUSLY OPPOSE ATTEMPTS BY TAIWANESE LEADERS TO INCREASE
THE ISLAND'S INTERNATIONAL STANDING OR MOVE TOWARDS INDEPENDENCE.
TAIWAN'S VICE PRESIDENT LIEN CHAN LEFT SUNDAY FOR A TRIP TO
EUROPE -- THE KIND OF FOREIGN VISIT BY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS FROM
TAIPEI THAT HAS, IN THE PAST, BROUGHT SHARP CRITICISM FROM CHINA.
A RECENT PUBLIC OPINION SURVEY BY THE MAINLAND AFFAIRS COUNCIL,
IN TAIWAN, INDICATES HOW DIFFICULT IT MAY BE TO IMPROVE TIES
ACROSS THE STRAIT. EIGHTY-TWO-PERCENT OF THOSE SURVEYED VIEW
CHINA AS UNFRIENDLY -- 85-PERCENT PREFER TO KEEP RELATIONS AS
THEY ARE. (SIGNED)
NEB/CS/FC/RAE
06-Oct-97 7:45 AM EDT (1145 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.