DATE=10/12/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-240061
TITLE=CHINA / TAIWAN TALKS (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=JAMES MITCHELL
DATELINE=TAIPEI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:  

INTRO:  OFFICIALS FROM CHINA AND TAIWAN ARE PREPARING TO SIT DOWN
FOR THEIR FIRST HIGH-LEVEL TALKS IN FIVE YEARS, AIMED AT ENDING 
ALMOST FIVE DECADES OF HOSTILITIES ACROSS THE TAIWAN STRAIT.  A 
12 - MEMBER DELEGATION FROM TAIWAN ARRIVES IN SHANGHAI ON 
WEDNESDAY AND WILL LATER TRAVEL TO BEIJING FOR MEETINGS WITH TOP 
CHINESE LEADERS.  BUT AS JAMES MITCHELL REPORTS FROM TAIPEI, THE 
TAIWAN DELEGATION FACES A TOUGH CHALLENGE, IN BEIJING AND AT 
HOME.

TEXT:   FOR ALL APPEARANCES, THE FIVE-DAY VISIT TO CHINA BY 
SENIOR TAIWANESE NEGOTIATORS IS A MAJOR STEP FORWARD FOR 
CROSS-STRAIT RELATIONS.   THE LAST TIME TAIWAN'S CHIEF DELEGATE, 
GU ZHEN-FU, MET WITH HIS COUNTERPART WANG DAO-HAN WAS IN 1993 AND
THAT WAS IN SINGAPORE. THIS TIME, NOT ONLY ARE THE TALKS IN 
CHINA, BUT WILL BE FURTHER LEGITIMIZED WHEN THE VISITING SIDE 
MEETS WITH CHINESE PRESIDENT JIANG ZEMIN AND OTHER SENIOR LEADERS
ON OCTOBER 18TH. 

IN MANY WAYS, THIS ROUND OF THE SO-CALLED "GU-WANG" TALKS PUTS 
THE TWO RIVALS BACK TO WHERE THEY WERE IN 1995, BEFORE TAIWAN 
PRESIDENT LEE DENG-HUI'S HIGHLY PUBLICIZED TRIP TO THE UNITED 
STATES.  THAT SENT RELATIONS PLUMMETING TO THE POINT WHERE CHINA 
HELD LIVE MISSILE TESTS IN THE TAIWAN STRAIT.

BUT MANY OBSERVERS HERE IN TAIWAN SAY THE TALKS ARE  NOT  LIKELY 
TO PRODUCE IMMEDIATE RESULTS.  WHILE CHINA WANTS TO NEGOTIATE A 
POLITICAL DEAL AIMED AT REUNIFICATION, TAIWAN CLEARLY FAVORS THE 
STATUS QUO -- THAT IS, MAINTAINING A SEPARATE STATE UNTIL 
CONDITIONS ARE CONSIDERED MORE FAVORABLE. THE QUESTION EVERYONE 
IS THEREFORE ASKING AND WHICH NEITHER SIDE HAS AGREED UPON IS 
WHAT MR. GU AND MR.WANG WILL TALK ABOUT. 

EVEN THE DIRECTOR OF TAIWAN'S MAINLAND AFFAIRS COUNCIL ZHANG 
JING-YU APPEARS A LITTLE VAGUE ON THE ISSUE:

                       /// ZHANG  ACT  ///

 THE PRIMARY CONSIDERATION FOR US WOULD BE THAT, NUMBER ONE, THAT
THE TWO AUTHORIZED ORGANIZATIONS WILL RESUME THEIR NORMAL 
CONTACTS AND COMMUNICATIONS, IN ORDER TO BETTER HANDLE ISSUES 
INVOLVING PEOPLE OF BOTH SIDES OF THE TAIWAN STRAITS; AND LATER, 
OF COURSE, WOULD BE THAT THE INSTITUTIONALIZED DIALOGUE AND 
NEGOTIATIONS WILL BE RESUMED TOO.

                         /// END ACT ///

TAIWAN'S LARGEST OPPOSITION PARTY, THE DEMOCRATIC PROGRESSIVE 
PARTY, HAS REACTED SHARPLY TO THE GOVERNMENT'S REJECTION OF ITS 
REQUEST THAT THE DELEGATION INCLUDE ONE OF ITS MEMBERS. LAWMAKER 
MICHAEL SUMS UP HIS PRO-INDEPENDENCE PARTY'S CONCERNS:

                         /// CAI ACT ///

 SEE,  IF THEY SAY, OH, WELCOME BACK TO CHINA, AND THEN THE 
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SAY, HEY, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT 
REUNIFICATION. SO THIS IS WHAT WE ARE WORRIED ABOUT, SO THIS IS 
WHAT WE INSIST THAT WE SHOULD BE REPRESENTED FAIRLY, FULLY, TO 
REPRESENT THE MAJORITY OF TAIWANESE PEOPLE ON THIS ISLAND.  WE 
ARE STRONGLY AGAINST THE 'ONE CHINA' POLICY, WE'RE STRONGLY 
AGAINST BECOMING A PART OF CHINA, WE ARE AGAINST CHINA PUTTING 
THEIR STRONG HAND AGAINST TAIWAN TO BE A MEMBER OF INTERNATIONAL 
ORGANIZATIONS."

                         /// END ACT ///

DESPITE THE DISSENT, AT LEAST ONE POSITIVE SIGN HAS APPEARED: 
BOTH SIDES HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT IF MEETINGS LIKE THIS ONE CAN 
IMPROVE THE STATE OF RELATIONS BETWEEN CHINA AND TAIWAN A 
PRESIDENTIAL SUMMIT IS NOT UNTHINKABLE. (SIGNED)

NEB/JM/FC/KL

12-Oct-98 4:54 AM EDT (0854 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.