DATE=10/20/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-240454
TITLE=CHINA / TAIWAN / KEDO (L)
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:  

INTRO:  CHINA SAYS IT IS OPPOSED TO TAIWAN'S OFFER TO JOIN AN 
AMERICAN-LED INTERNATIONAL CONSORTIUM ESTABLISHED TO FUND NUCLEAR
REACTORS IN NORTH KOREA.  CORRESPONDENT ROGER WILKISON REPORTS 
BEIJING SAYS TAIWAN IS NOT QUALIFIED TO JOIN THE KOREAN PENINSULA
ENERGY DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION BECAUSE IT IS NOT A SOVEREIGN 
STATE.

TEXT:  IT IS CHINA'S LATEST ATTEMPT TO DENY TAIWAN A CHANCE TO 
RAISE ITS INTERNATIONAL PROFILE.  IT COMES TWO DAYS AFTER 
TAIWAN'S SENIOR CHINA NEGOTIATOR -- KOO CHEN-FU -- TOLD CHINESE 
VICE-PREMIER QIAN QICHEN IN BEIJING THE ISLAND IS CONSIDERING 
JOINING THE CONSORTIUM TO HELP MAINTAIN PEACE AND STABILITY IN 
EAST ASIA.  

AIDES TO MR. KOO TOLD REPORTERS SUNDAY MR. QIAN WAS SURPRISED BY 
THE TAIWANESE MOVE AND SHOOK HIS HEAD WHEN THE TAIWANESE ENVOY 
URGED CHINA NOT TO BLOCK ITS PLAN TO CONTRIBUTE FUNDS TO THE 
GROUP.

CHINA'S FIRST OFFICIAL REACTION TO TAIWAN'S MOST RECENT ATTEMPT 
TO BREAK OUT OF THE DIPLOMATIC ISOLATION BEIJING HAS IMPOSED ON 
IT, CAME TUESDAY WHEN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN TANG GUOQIANG 
REJECTED IT OUT OF HAND.   MR. TANG -- SPEAKING THROUGH AN 
INTERPRETER -- SAID KEDO, OF WHICH CHINA IS NOT A MEMBER, CAN 
ONLY BE MADE UP OF SOVEREIGN STATES.

                  /// INTERPRETER ACTUALITY ///

 AS A PROVINCE OF CHINA, TAIWAN IS NOT QUALIFIED TO PARTICIPATE 
IN ITS (KEDO'S) AFFAIRS.  CHINA IS OPPOSED TO ANY FORM OF 
TAIWAN'S PARTICIPATION IN KEDO AFFAIRS.

                      /// END ACTUALITY ///

TAIWAN MAINTAINS IT IS A SOVEREIGN STATE WITH A RIGHT TO A ROLE 
ON THE WORLD STAGE.  BUT CHINA ARGUES THE ISLAND IS A WAYWARD 
PROVINCE AND MUST BE RE-UNITED WITH THE MAINLAND.  CHINA HAS 
SUCCESSFULLY SOUGHT TO ISOLATE TAIWAN AND BLOCK IT FROM JOINING 
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS.

EVEN THOUGH MR. KOO ENDED A THREE-YEAR FREEZE IN CONTACTS BETWEEN
THE TWO SIDES DURING HIS VISIT TO THE MAINLAND, FOREIGN MINISTRY 
SPOKESMAN TANG ACKNOWLEDGED BEIJING IS DETERMINED TO DENY THE 
ISLAND ANY INTERNATIONAL LEGITIMACY.

                  /// INTERPRETER ACTUALITY ///

 WE ARE OPPOSED TO ANY PRACTICE BY TAIWAN TO SEEK INTERNATIONAL 
SPACE.  IT WILL ONLY MAKE THE SEPARATIST FORCES IN TAIWAN 
UNDERMINE THE GOOD CAUSE OF THE UNIFICATION OF THE MOTHERLAND.  
ONLY WHEN TAIWAN RETURNS TO THE EMBRACE OF THE MOTHERLAND CAN THE
PEOPLE IN TAIWAN ENJOY THE DIGNITY AND HONOR OF THE MOTHERLAND.

                      /// END ACTUALITY ///

TAIWAN SAYS IT CANNOT EVEN CONSIDER REUNITING WITH CHINA UNTIL 
THE MAINLAND BECOMES A DEMOCRACY.  BUT BEIJING SPOKESMAN TANG 
SAYS THE MAIN ISSUE BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES IS NOT DEMOCRACY, BUT 
THE SOVEREIGNTY AND TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF CHINA.    (SIGNED)

NEB/RW/FC/RAE

20-Oct-98 7:27 AM EDT (1127 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.