DATE=10/13/98
      TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP
    NUMBER=6-10960
     TITLE=BEIJING AND TAIPEI BACK ON SPEAKING TERMS        
    BYLINE=CHALLISS MCDONOUGH
 TELEPHONE=619-2702
  DATELINE=WASHINGTON
    EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS

CONTENT=

INTRO:  THIS WEEK, THE THAWING OF RELATIONS ACROSS THE TAIWAN 
STRAITS HAS DRAWN THE ATTENTION OF EDITORIAL WRITERS AT A NUMBER 
OF U-S NEWSPAPERS.  CHINA AND TAIWAN HAVE RESUMED A DIALOGUE THAT
WAS SUSPENDED THREE-YEARS AGO.

HERE IS _____________ TO GIVE US A SAMPLING OF U-S DAILIES' 
THOUGHTS ON THE MATTER WITH TODAY'S U-S OPINION ROUNDUP.

TEXT:  SINCE 1995, RELATIONS BETWEEN TAIWAN AND MAINLAND CHINA 
HAVE BEEN EVEN COOLER THAN NORMAL.  BEIJING CUT OFF ALL DIALOGUE 
THAT YEAR AFTER TAIWANESE PRESIDENT LEE TENG-HUI MADE A 
CONTROVERSIAL PRIVATE VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES.

THE SITUATION TOOK A MILITARY TURN BEFORE TAIWAN'S 1996 
ELECTIONS, WHEN CHINA LOBBED ARTILLERY SHELLS INTO THE TAIWAN 
STRAITS.  U-S INVOLVEMENT CONTINUED WHEN WASHINGTON SENT TWO 
AIRCRAFT CARRIERS TO THE AREA TO DISSUADE FURTHER CHINESE 
MILITARY ACTION.

U-S EDITORIAL PAGES -- IN GENERAL -- HAVE WELCOMED THE RESUMPTION
OF DIALOGUE BETWEEN TAIPEI AND BEIJING.  HERE IS WHAT "THE 
WASHINGTON TIMES" HAD TO SAY AS THE TALKS BEGAN:

VOICE:   LITTLE OF SUBSTANCE IS LIKELY TO COME OUT OF THE MEETING
         THIS WEEK. ... THE ISSUES THAT SIMULTANEOUSLY UNITE AND 
         DIVIDE BEIJING AND TAIPEI ARE AMONG THE THORNIEST 
         PROBLEMS ABROAD TODAY.  BUT SOMETIMES, AND THIS IS ONE, 
         THE MEETING IS MESSAGE ENOUGH ALL BY ITSELF.

MUCH OF THE DEBATE ON THE EDITORIAL PAGES HAS INVOLVED U-S POLICY
IN THE MATTER.  IN JUNE OF THIS YEAR, PRESIDENT CLINTON VOICED 
U-S OPPOSITION TO INDEPENDENCE FOR TAIWAN.  ADMINISTRATION 
OFFICIALS DENIED THE COMMENTS REPRESENTED A POLICY SHIFT.  
SEVERAL PAPERS -- INCLUDING "THE WASHINGTON POST" -- HAVE 
CRITICIZED WHAT THEY CALLED MIXED MESSAGES COMING FROM THE UNITED
STATES.

VOICE:   THE RESUMPTION OF A DIALOGUE BETWEEN CHINA AND TAIWAN 
         ADDS A MEASURE OF CALM TO A RELATIONSHIP CRITICAL TO THE
         STABILITY AND WELFARE OF THE WHOLE EAST ASIAN REGION. 
         ... FORTUNATELY, THE MIXED MESSAGE SENT BY [AMERICA] HAS
         NOT KEPT CHINA AND TAIWAN FROM RETURNING TO THE DIALOGUE
         FORMAT THEY OPENED IN 1993.

THE "DALLAS (TEXAS) MORNING NEWS" GIVES MR. CLINTON A LITTLE MORE
CREDIT THAN THE "POST" DOES, BUT ALSO CALLS THE ADMINISTRATION'S 
POLICIES INTO QUESTION.  THE "MORNING NEWS" IS PARTICULARLY 
CONCERNED WITH THE SHAPE OF ANY POSSIBLE FUTURE REUNIFICATION 
BETWEEN ISLAND AND MAINLAND.

VOICE:   THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION DESERVES CREDIT FOR GETTING 
         BEIJING AND TAIPEI TO RESUME THEIR TALKS.  YET THE WHITE
         HOUSE MUST STOP SENDING MIXED SIGNALS. ... SUCH 
         FLIP-FLOPPING IS DANGEROUS. ... THE CLINTON 
         ADMINISTRATION SHOULD ... [SEND] OUT THE SIGNAL THAT 
         TAIPEI IS THE MODEL OF CAPITALIST DEMOCRACY TO WHICH 
         BEIJING SHOULD ASPIRE, RATHER THAN THE OTHER WAY AROUND.

NEITHER THE NATURE OF A POSSIBLE REUNION BETWEEN CHINA AND 
TAIWAN, NOR U-S POLICY ON THE MATTER HAVE ESCAPED THE NOTICE OF 
"THE NEW YORK TIMES."

VOICE:   ANY EVENTUAL REUNIFICATION SHOULD BE BASED ON CONSENT 
         AND SHOULD RESEMBLE THE ONE-COUNTRY-TWO-SYSTEMS MODEL 
         APPLIED IN HONG KONG.  REUNIFICATION IS, AT ANY RATE, AN
         ISSUE BEST DEFERRED.  THE CURRENT TALKS COULD MORE 
         USEFULLY CONCENTRATE ON PERSUADING TAIWAN TO REMOVE 
         OUTDATED OBSTACLES TO CROSS-STRAIT TRADE AND TOURISM AND
         ON PERSUADING BEIJING TO RENOUNCE FURTHER THREATS OF 
         FORCE AGAINST TAIWAN.

U-S PAPERS ARE  NOT  UNANIMOUS IN THEIR OPTIMISM REGARDING THE 
RESUMPTION OF DIALOGUE.  FROM "THE WALL STREET JOURNAL" COMES A 
VOICE OF CAUTION FOR TAIWAN.

VOICE:   IN TODAY'S WORLD ... THE VERY ACT OF ENTERING INTO TALKS
         CAN BE A RISKY THING.  ONCE TAIWAN BEGINS TALKING TO 
         BEIJING, IT MAY FIND THAT ITS ACTIONS ... WILL BE JUDGED
         ... IN TERMS OF WHETHER THEY PROMOTE OR HINDER DIALOGUE 
         WITH THE MAINLAND.

AND WITH THAT, WE END THIS LOOK AT U-S EDITORIAL OPINION ON THE 
RESUMPTION OF DIALOGUE BETWEEN CHINA AND TAIWAN.

NEB/CEM/RAE

15-Oct-98 1:12 PM EDT (1712 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.