China seeks US co-op over Taiwan issue
( 2003-07-29 07:07) (China Daily)
Washington and Beijing should band together to press Taipei to abandon its
highly proactive referendum plan in a bid to ensure stable cross-Straits ties,
according to leading experts on Taiwan studies speaking on the matter
Monday.
"Strengthened co-operation between China and the United States in
this field benefits not only the interests of both sides, but also long-term
peace and stability in cross-Straits relations,'' said Yu Keli, director of the
Institute of Taiwan Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social
Sciences.
Yu told China Daily that Washington should closely work with
Beijing and state its opposition more clearly against Taipei's plans to hold an
island wide referendum. He said the referendum serves as "a creeping
pro-independence move that threatens to trigger a crisis in cross-Straits
ties.''
Yu made the remarks after Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian reaffirmed
on Saturday his commitment to holding a referendum to determine whether to
finish a partially built nuclear power plant before his four-year term ends next
March.
Chen, who doubles as chairman of the pro-independence Democratic
Progressive Party (DPP), said his government is "now drawing up a plan to
establish a referendum mechanism'' as he delivered a telecast speech to the 30th
Annual Meeting of the World Federation of Taiwanese Associations in
London.
Although the referendum, at least on the surface, is
non-political and plays no part in cross-Straits relations, it is widely
believed that the ruling DPP is taking advantage of the plan to pave the way for
a referendum on whether to seek formal independence from China.
The DPP
enshrines Taiwan independence in its party platform, and favours a public
referendum to decide the island's future.
In the latest move to show its
worry about Taiwan's proposed referendum, Beijing sent two senior envoys to
Washington last week in hopes of seeking understanding and co-operation from the
US.
Chen Yunlin and Zhou Mingwei, the director and deputy director of the
Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council respectively, reportedly told US
Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage that any referendum on the island is
an unacceptable move that will lead to an eventual vote on
independence.
Yu added that recent developments have demonstrated that
Beijing has apparently gained growing support from Washington on its clear-cut
stand on the referendum issue.
The United States has begun to voice
strong disapproval of the Taiwanese move, both at official and non-official
occasions, according to the researcher.
For instance, Armitage reportedly
expressed US concerns over a possible crisis arising from the Taiwanese
referendum plan while meeting Taiwan's "presidential secretary general'' Chiou
I-jen, who was on a US mission to explain reasons behind the proposed plebiscite
over the weekend.
Former US ambassador to China James Lilley also said on
Sunday that he was worried a referendum may prevent Taiwan's economy from
developing further.
Speaking at the launch of his new book in Taipei, he
warned the island against going too far to provoke the Chinese
mainland.
"All these US moves suggest that Washington has recognized the
potential harm that may be brought about by Taiwan's referendum plan,'' said Li
Jiaquan, another senior researcher with Yu's institute.
He stressed that
the final implementation of the plan will hinge on whether Washington can
"effectively exert pressure on Taipei'' despite Chen Shui-bian's determination
to push ahead with the proposed referendum.
Taiwan Talks
State Councillor Tang Jiaxuan Monday told a former US official that China and
the United States should "earnestly'' address the problems in their bilateral
relations, especially those relating to the Taiwan question.
Tang was
speaking to Samuel Berger, a former national security adviser to the president
of the United States under Bill Clinton.
He said the Chinese Government
adheres to the basic principles of "peaceful reunification'' and "one country,
two systems.'' It will try its best "with the utmost sincerity'' to realize
peaceful reunification, he added.
However, the Taiwan authorities have
not yet accepted the one-China principle and have spared no effort in carrying
out separatist activities both inside and outside Taiwan, Tang said.
He
expressed the hope that the United States would honour the commitment it made
that it would abide by the one-China policy, stop selling advanced weapons to
Taiwan and stop raising the level of US-Taiwan relations. Tang said he hoped
Washington would not encourage Taiwan separatists in their attempts to split
China.
Berger said he understood the sensitivity of the Taiwan question and
supported the one-China policy.
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