-Caveat Lector-
US Urged To Stay Out of Taiwan Flap
By TOM RAUM
.c The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) - China's ambassador cautioned against U.S. involvement in
the standoff with Taiwan on Thursday, saying Beijing would not rule out force
to stop Taiwanese independence or ``possible foreign intervention.''
The envoy, Li Zhaoxing, also suggested China is concerned that Taiwan could
become an issue in the U.S. presidential campaign and other political races.
``The issue of Taiwan is entirely China's internal matter,'' he said.
At a news conference at the Chinese Embassy, Li voiced opposition to any
increase in the flow of U.S. arms to Taiwan - particularly deployment of a
U.S.-developed missile defense shield to protect the island.
China has called for a cessation of all U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.
The present tempest was spawned by Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui's July 9
assertion that Taiwan and China should have a ``state to state''
relationship.
China viewed that as an abandonment of the ``one China'' policy that has
ruled relations between Taiwan and the mainland for the past 50 years and a
move toward Taiwanese independence.
Li called the Taiwanese president ``a troublemaker.''
``Lee Teng-hui must discard his state-to-state doctrine. Otherwise he will go
down in history only as a national traitor.''
The recent cross-strait dispute has generated new calls, both in Congress and
on the presidential campaign trail, for a renewed commitment of support to
Taiwan.
Li said China was concerned that the issue might become entangled in upcoming
election-year U.S. politics.
``There are a few, not many, American politicians have already stated that if
China would like to resolve the issue of Taiwan with force, then America will
protect Taiwan. I believe this is a very dangerous statement,'' Li said.
``People who say this have no reason at all to say what they have.''
China considers Taiwan a renegade province.
The United States adheres to a policy that acknowledges that Chinese on both
sides of the Taiwan Strait hold that there is only one China. However, the
1979 Taiwan Relations Act commits the United States to defend China against
an attack from the mainland.
While China hopes the situation can be resolved peacefully, ``We cannot rule
out the force option,'' Li said. ``We want to prepare ourselves to stop any
possible Taiwan independence or any possible foreign intervention and foreign
aggression.''
Asked if Chinese President Jiang Zemin had written a letter to President
Clinton listing asking the U.S. to cease arms sales and take other steps to
back away from support of Taiwan, Li would only say that the two leaders
exchange views frequently.
Clinton and Jiang will meet in New Zealand during a meeting of Asian and
Pacific leaders.
State Department spokesman James Rubin said Clinton and Jiang ``have
exchanged correspondence on several occasions in recent months.''
``We have strongly urged both China and Taiwan to engage in dialogue and to
resolve differences in a peaceful manner,'' Rubin said.
As to arms sales, Rubin said the United States would ``continue to assist
Taiwan in meeting its legitimate self-defense needs.''
``We have made no U.S. decisions'' yet on whether to provide Taiwan with a
missile-defense capability, Rubin said. He said such questions are premature
because the technology for such a defense - the ability to shoot down
incoming missiles - is still being developed.
Overall, Li was upbeat on the current state of U.S.-Chinese relations, which
hit their lowest point in years in May with the accidental U.S. bombing of
the Chinese embassy in Yugoslavia.
Li suggested negotiations over reparations to China and victims of the
embassy bombing were progressing. And he expressed hopes that remaining U.S.
obstacles to China's entry into the World Trade Organization would soon be
resolved.
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