Chen ready to discuss 'one-China'

TAIPEI, MARCH 20. Taiwan's President-elect, Mr. Chen Shui-bian, in his first response to China's call that Taipei return to the ``one-China policy,'' today said he was willing to discuss the policy with Beijing.

``I am willing to discuss any subject, including the `one-China policy,' with Beijing, so long as `one-China' is not a principle or pre-condition for holding talks,'' Mr. Chen said. He made the remark while meeting Mr. Chang Jung-Fa, Mr. Chen's new Cabinet Adviser. After winning the election on Saturday, Mr. Chen had said he and his Vice-President were willing to take a ``reconciliation and communication trip'' to China before he was sworn in on May 20.

Reacting to Mr. Chen's remarks, the Chinese President, Mr. Jiang Zemin, said he welcomed talks but only on the principle of ``one China''. Chinese state radio quoted Mr. Jiang as saying, ``We have said in the past, and we still think that no matter who is in power in Taiwan, we welcome him to come to the mainland for talks. At the same time, we can go over to Taiwan. But dialogue or talks should be on the basis that he first of all recognise the one-China principle. Under this precondition, anything can be discussed.''

But China's Taiwan experts sniffed at Mr. Chen's offer, saying Beijing needed to observe him for a long time - particularly what he says about the ``one-China policy'' in his inauguration speech - before making a judgement on him. Beijing insists there is one China and Taiwan is its province. Taiwan, seat of the exiled Chinese nationalist government since 1949, claims China's situation is like that of the former East and West German states as well as North and South Korea - a nation divided by war.

At a meeting in Hong Kong in 1992, Beijing and Taipei negotiators agreed that each side could keep its own interpretation of what is one China. So, while Beijing claims there is one China and Taiwan is part of China, Taipei says there is a historically and culturally one China, it is a divided country ruled by two Governments. This consensus was broken in July 1999 when the President, Mr. Lee Teng-hui, redefined Taiwan- China ties as ``state-to-state relationship.'' Beijing halted resuming bilateral talks and threatened to use force to recover Taiwan if Mr. Lee took concrete action to seek independence.In a related development, Taiwan's Defence Ministry today dismissed a Hong Kong press report that Chinese troops were massing along the Fujian coast. ``We have not detected unusual troop movements on the mainland. There are only regular troop movements.''

- DPA, Reuters

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Section  : International
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