DATE=7/15/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-235473
TITLE= CHINA/ TAIWAN/ U-N (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=STEPHANIE HO
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:  

INTRO:  AS EXPECTED, CHINA IS REACTING WITH STRONG WORDS TO 
TAIWAN'S LATEST EFFORTS TO JOIN THE UNITED NATIONS.  V-O-A'S 
STEPHANIE HO REPORTS, BEIJING REGARDS THE ISLAND AS A REBEL 
PROVINCE -- WHICH IS  NOT  ENTITLED TO DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH 
OTHER COUNTRIES OR MEMBERSHIP IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS.

TEXT:  CHINA'S OFFICIAL XINHUA NEWS AGENCY WEDNESDAY URGED 
COUNTRIES THAT SUPPORT TAIWAN'S MEMBERSHIP IN THE UNITED NATIONS 
TO IMMEDIATELY STOP WHAT IT CALLED "THEIR ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES."

IN A SIX-PAGE DISPATCH, XINHUA SAYS CHINA'S U-N AMBASSADOR, QIN 
HUASUN, HAS DENOUNCED TAIWAN'S U-N APPLICATION AS AN INTERFERENCE
IN CHINA'S INTERNAL AFFAIRS AND AN OBSTRUCTION TO RE-UNIFICATION.

THE CHINESE NATIONALIST GOVERNMENT FLED TO TAIWAN IN 1949 AFTER 
LOSING MAINLAND CHINA TO THE COMMUNISTS.  CHINA'S U-N MEMBERSHIP 
WAS SWITCHED FROM TAIPEI TO BEIJING IN 1971.

TAIWAN'S LATEST BID FOR U-N MEMBERSHIP WAS MADE BY 11 MOSTLY 
AFRICAN AND CARIBBEAN COUNTRIES, IN A LETTER TO U-N 
SECRETARY-GENERAL KOFI ANNAN.

THE LETTER SAYS TAIWAN HAS A POPULATION OF NEARLY 22-MILLION  
PEOPLE AND IS THE 20TH LARGEST ECONOMY IN THE WORLD.  IT SAYS THE
CONTINUED EXCLUSION OF THE ISLAND FROM THE UNITED NATIONS IS 
ARCHAIC, UNJUST AND UNWARRANTED.

IN HIS PROTEST LETTER, CHINESE U-N AMBASSADOR QIN SAID CHINA HAS 
NEVER DONE ANYTHING TO HURT THE INTERESTS OF THE COUNTRIES THAT 
SUPPORT TAIWAN'S BID.  BUT HE ADDS THEIR ACTION HAS SERIOUSLY 
HARMED CHINA'S INTERESTS, AND HURT THE FEELINGS OF THE CHINESE 
PEOPLE.

THESE DAYS, RELATIONS ACROSS THE TAIWAN STRAIT APPEAR RELAXED. 
TAIWANESE COMPANIES HAVE INVESTED MORE THAN 30-BILLION DOLLARS IN
CHINA AND THOUSANDS OF TAIWANESE VISIT THEIR RELATIVES ON THE 
MAINLAND.  BUT SOME CHINESE REMEMBER THE HOSTILITY THAT PREVAILED
IN THE NOT-SO-DISTANT PAST.

CHINESE DISSIDENT LIN XINSHU LIVES IN FUJIAN PROVINCE -- JUST 
ACROSS THE TAIWAN STRAIT FROM THE ISLAND.  HE SAYS HE REMEMBERS 
IN 1960, WHEN HE WAS 17-YEARS-OLD, AND PART OF THE LOCAL MILITIA.

/// LIN CHINESE ACT -- IN FULL, FADE OUT ///

AT THAT TIME, HE SAYS, TENSIONS BETWEEN CHINA AND ITS ENEMIES ON 
TAIWAN WERE HIGH.  FROM THE SOUTHERN COASTAL CITY OF XIAMEN, MR. 
LIN SAYS HE COULD SEE THE NATIONALIST FLAG AND TAIWANESE MILITARY
CARS ON KINMEN ISLAND, TWO KILOMETERS AWAY.

HE SAID HE WOULD CARRY A GUN ON HIS EVENING PATROLS AND THAT THE 
SITUATION WORRIED HIM SO MUCH THAT HE OFTEN FELT HE SAW SEA 
MONSTERS IN THE WATER. 

MR. LIN SAYS HE CAN UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE IN TAIWAN MIGHT WANT 
INDEPENDENCE, BUT HE SAYS HE STILL HOPES FOR EVENTUAL 
RE-UNIFICATION.

TALKS BETWEEN REPRESENTATIVES FROM TAIPEI AND BEIJING RESUMED 
EARLIER THIS YEAR AFTER A NEARLY THREE-YEAR HIATUS, AND FURTHER  
CROSS-STRAITS MEETINGS ARE SET TO CONTINUE.  ON TUESDAY, CHINA'S 
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY MINISTER ZHU LILAN ARRIVED IN TAIPEI, IN 
HER STATUS AS A PEKING UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR, TO ATTEND A SEMINAR 
ON INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY AND ELECTRONICS.   (SIGNED)

NEB/HO/RBW/FC/WTW

15-Jul-98 6:11 AM EDT (1011 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.