DATE=7/10/98
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-40895
TITLE=TAIWAN / ISSUES 
BYLINE=STEPHANIE HO
DATELINE=HONG KONG
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:   PRESIDENT CLINTON'S RECENT TRIP TO CHINA RAISED SEVERAL 
ISSUES OF VITAL INTEREST TO TAIWAN -- AMONG THEM: THE QUESTION OF
INDEPENDENCE FOR THE ISLAND,  ARMS SALES TO TAIPEI, TAIWAN'S 
MEMBERSHIP IN THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION AND HUMAN RIGHTS.  
VOA'S STEPHANIE HO SPOKE TO TAIWANESE LEADERS ABOUT THE ISSUES 
AND HAS THIS BACKGROUND REPORT.

 TEXT:  TAIWANESE OFFICIALS RESPONDED STRONGLY TO PRESIDENT 
CLINTON'S PUBLIC STATEMENT IN SHANGHAI OF A U-S POLICY KNOWN AS 
THE "THREE NO'S" -- NO INDEPENDENCE FOR TAIWAN, NO TWO CHINA'S, 
AND NO MEMBERSHIP FOR TAIWAN IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS.

 THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION HAS SAID TAIWAN IS OVERREACTING AND 
THIS WEEK THE TOP U-S OFFICIAL FOR THE ISLAND WAS IN TAIPEI 
REASSURING TAIWANESE LEADERS THAT U-S POLICY HAS NOT CHANGED.

 TAIWANESE FOREIGN MINISTER JASON HU SAID THE U-S RESTATEMENT OF 
THE "THREE NO'S" GIVES A NEGATIVE IMPRESSION -- BOTH INSIDE AND 
OUTSIDE OF TAIWAN.

                           // HU ACT //

         IF YOU LOOK AT THE WORLD MEDIA IN THE UNITED STATES, IN 
         LONDON, IN JAPAN -- THEY READ IT LIKE TAIWAN, TOO.  IF 
         WE ARE OVERREACTING, WHAT ABOUT THESE MEDIA?  WHAT ABOUT
         THESE PEOPLE WHO WRITE FOR THE MEDIA OR TALK FOR THE 
         MEDIA?  OBVIOUSLY, THEY THOUGHT THE UNITED STATES WAS 
         CHANGING POLICY, TOO, AND IT TAKES A LOT OF EFFORT FOR 
         THE UNITED STATES TO TRY AND EXPLAIN THAT WE -- LOOK, 
         LOOK, LOOK -- THIS IS OLD WINE  IN A NEW BOTTLE.  

                                    // END ACT // 

U-S OFFICIALS HAVE SAID, THOUGH, THAT THE UNITED STATES WILL 
CONTINUE TO SELL WEAPONS TO TAIWAN FOR DEFENSIVE PURPOSES.  MR. 
HU SAYS TAIWAN WOULD ALSO WELCOME U-S HELP ON ITS APPLICATION TO 
JOIN THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION.

 MR. HU SAYS TAIWAN'S ENTRY INTO THE W-T-O SHOULD NOT BE HELD UP 
BY CHINA'S STALLED W-T-O APPLICATION.

                                 // HU ACT //

         SO, WE THINK WE SHOULD GET IN (TO THE W-T-O) FIRST OR AS
         SOON AS POSSIBLE.  WE DON'T MIND GETTING IN TOGETHER, 
         BUT TO DELAY OUR ENTRY PURELY BECAUSE THE P-R-C IS 
         INSISTING UPON THEIR OWN ECONOMIC CONDITIONS IS ENTIRELY
         UNJUSTIFIABLE AND UNFAIR.

                                    // END ACT //

 IN THE MEANTIME, TALKS ON IMPROVING CROSS STRAITS RELATIONS ARE 
BACK ON TRACK -- AFTER A NEARLY THREE YEAR HIATUS.  MR. HU POINTS
OUT THAT THE LEADERS FROM THE TWO SEMI-OFFICIAL GROUPS 
REPRESENTING EACH SIDE -- KOO CHEN-FU AND WANG DAOHAN -- ARE SET 
TO MEET EACH OTHER LATER THIS YEAR. 

                                 // HU ACT //

         SO, NOW WE'RE PROPOSING MR. KOO AND MR. WANG SHOULD MEET
         BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR -- NOW IT LOOKS LIKE EITHER 
         SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER.  AND WE ARE ALSO PROPOSING FOR 
         PEOPLE AT A LOWER LEVEL THAN THE TWO CHAIRMEN TO WORK 
         OUT CERTAIN FORMAL AGENDA THAT MAY BE ADOPTED, EITHER 
         DURING THE MEETING OF THE BIG TWO OR EVEN AFTER.  AT 
         LEAST, WE SHOULD KNOW WHERE WE ARE GOING AND WE SHOULD 
         TRY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT HAPPENS AFTER A 
         HANDSHAKE, A DINNER, A MEETING, WOULD ONLY BE THE NEW 
         BEGINNING OF INTERACTION WITH GOOD NATURE.

                              // END ACT //

 CHINA IS PROPOSING TO REUNIFY TAIWAN UNDER A ONE COUNTRY, TWO 
SYSTEMS PLAN SIMILAR TO THE ONE THAT IT USES FOR HONG KONG -- 
WHICH RETURNED TO CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY LAST YEAR.  THE TAIWANESE 
FOREIGN MINISTER CALLS THIS PROPOSAL A FORMULA AND SAYS IT IS NOT
ACCEPTABLE.

                                 // HU ACT //

         BUT IF YOU SIT DOWN AND THINK ABOUT IT, WHAT WOULD IT 
         GET US?  WHAT WOULD IT BRING TO US THAT WE DO NOT HAVE 
         NOW?  WOULD IT BRING US MORE FREEDOM?  WOULD IT BRING US
         MORE DEMOCRACY?  WOULD IT BRING US MORE PROSPERITY?  
         WOULD IT BRING US, TO SAY THE LEAST, MORE SECURITY, BY 
         ACCEPTING A ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS, OR NOMINAL RULE 
         FROM BEIJING.  WHAT WOULD IT BRING US?  YOU KNOW, PEOPLE
         HERE ARE IN A FULLY DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM.  THEY ASK US 
         THESE QUESTIONS AND IT IS PRECISELY BECAUSE OF THESE 
         CONSIDERATIONS, THEY JUST SIMPLY WOULD NOT ACCEPT A ONE 
         COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS FORMULA.

                                    // END ACT //

FOREIGN MINISTER HU SAYS THE SIX MILLION PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WERE
NEVER ASKED THEIR OPINIONS.  ON THE OTHER HAND, HE SAYS, TAIWAN'S
21-MILLION PEOPLE LIVE IN A DEMOCRACY -- WHICH MEANS THEY HAVE 
THE POWER TO SAY NO.  (SIGNED)

 NEB/HO/FC

10-Jul-98 2:51 AM EDT (0651 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.