Taiwan Warned To Accept China Terms
By Charles Hutzler
Associated Press Writer
Tuesday, May 9, 2000; 6:36 a.m. EDT
BEIJING –– China's lead negotiator with rival Taiwan warned today that the
island must accept Beijing's terms for negotiating unification if the
estranged sides wished to secure peace and stability.
Tang Shubei fired the latest warning shot that Beijing hopes will pressure
Taiwanese President-elect Chen Shui-bian before he takes office May 20. Chen
comes from a democratic party that has backed Taiwan's formal independence,
although he has softened his stance.
The media in Hong Kong, always sensitive to tensions between Taiwan and
China, reported over the weekend that Beijing will hold large military
exercises after Chen's inauguration. Tang, in a speech last month, threatened
"disaster instead of peace" if Taiwan did not discuss unification.
Tang steered clear of overt threats in a remarks today at a seminar on
reunion in Xiamen, a city on China's side of the strait. He reiterated
inducements to entice Taiwan into talks and said negotiations would be as
equals, not as central government to provincial government.
Tang dwelled on "one China," a term Beijing uses to underscore its claim to
Taiwan. Beijing insists that despite splitting amid civil war 51 years ago,
the mainland and island are part of "one China." China demands that this
"principle" be the basis for negotiations. Chen has refused the precondition,
although he said he is willing to discuss the concept.
"Upholding the one China principle involves China's sovereignty and
territorial integrity. It involves whether Taiwan is China's territory. On
such a basic issue, the Chinese government and people have no room to yield
and cannot make any concessions," Tang said in remarks carried by the
official Xinhua News Agency.
By suggesting that 'one China' could be negotiated, Taiwanese leaders were
refusing to accept that Taiwan was a part of China, said Tang, who runs the
government agency charged with negotiating with the island.
Beijing has long threatened to retake Taiwan by force if it declares
independence or comes under foreign influence. As Chen's candidacy for
president gathered steam in February, China upped the ante, adding that force
could be used if Taiwan indefinitely postponed negotiations.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry also urged Taiwan to clearly voice support for
"one China." At a media briefing, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue
said she had seen reports that Chen would not refer to relations between the
sides as "state-to-state" ties – a statement used by his predecessor that
enraged Beijing.
"But I haven't seen their statement regarding the position of one-China,"
Zhang said. "I think they have to first of all respect the principle of one
China."
© Copyright 2000 The Associated Press
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