Bluezoo
05-12-2005, 01:32 PM
China renews talks offer, Taiwan says No
By Lindsay Beck and Benjamin Kang Lim
BEIJING (*******) - A Taiwan opposition party and China proposed a new formulation on cross-Strait relations on Thursday as a basis for Beijing and Taipei to resume talks, but it was swiftly rejected by Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian.
The new "two sides, one China" formula was an apparent attempt to accommodate Taipei's desire to be seen as Beijing's political equal and not just a Chinese province, paving the way for an end to a stalemate in one of Asia's worst flashpoints.
But the independence-minded Chen said Beijing had offered no concessions and he rejected its cherished "one China" principle as a precondition for talks on the ground that it would undermine the island's sovereignty.
"China has not compromised at all, it offered nothing new," Chen told Formosa Television in an interview.
Beijing has claimed Taiwan as Chinese territory since the losing Nationalists fled there at the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949 and insists the self-ruled, democratic island must be returned to the fold, by force if necessary.
Without mentioning him by name, Chinese leader Hu Jintao made a fresh offer to open a dialogue with Chen, one week after President Bush had urged Hu by telephone to try again to open talks.
"Regardless of person or political party and regardless of what he or it has said or done, we are willing to hold talks on developing cross-Strait relations so long as he or it recognizes the 'one China' principle and the 1992 consensus," said Hu, who is both president and Communist Party chief.
He was speaking at a meeting with James Soong, leader of Taiwan's opposition People First Party. Two months ago, China's parliament passed a law mandating use of "non-peaceful" means, including war, to seize the island if it formally declared statehood.
DIRECT FLIGHTS
After Thursday's meeting in Beijing, the two parties issued a communique that pledged to push for talks to establish a cross-Strait free trade zone and to start regular direct flights between the two sides next year.
Taiwan has banned non-stop transport links since 1949 because of security fears.
The joint communique also contained the "two sides, one China" wording, redefining an agreement between Chinese and Taiwan negotiators in 1992 that the mainland and the island form "one China." Hu had said earlier that the 1992 consensus, as it is called, was the political basis for dialogue.
"The one China policy' is to Hongkong-ise Taiwan, to localize Taiwan, to make it a special administration area of China," Chen told Formosa Television. "This is why I can't accept it."
Chen, who won the island's presidency in 2000 after five decades of rule by the Chinese Nationalists or Kuomintang (KMT), has refused to accept the 1992 consensus, arguing that both sides at the time had merely agreed to disagree.
The communique also said conflict in what is seen as a dangerous flashpoint could be avoided.
"As long as there is no possibility of Taiwan developing toward 'Taiwan independence', armed conflict across the Strait can be effectively avoided," it said.
Beijing suspended semi-official dialogue with Taipei in 1999 after then Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui tried to reassert the island's sovereignty by redefining bilateral ties as "special state to state."
Despite the political face-off, two-way trade, investment and tourism have flourished, and Taiwan investors have poured an estimated $100 billion into China.....
For the full text, go to:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050512/wl_nm/china_taiwan_dc/nc:731
By Lindsay Beck and Benjamin Kang Lim
BEIJING (*******) - A Taiwan opposition party and China proposed a new formulation on cross-Strait relations on Thursday as a basis for Beijing and Taipei to resume talks, but it was swiftly rejected by Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian.
The new "two sides, one China" formula was an apparent attempt to accommodate Taipei's desire to be seen as Beijing's political equal and not just a Chinese province, paving the way for an end to a stalemate in one of Asia's worst flashpoints.
But the independence-minded Chen said Beijing had offered no concessions and he rejected its cherished "one China" principle as a precondition for talks on the ground that it would undermine the island's sovereignty.
"China has not compromised at all, it offered nothing new," Chen told Formosa Television in an interview.
Beijing has claimed Taiwan as Chinese territory since the losing Nationalists fled there at the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949 and insists the self-ruled, democratic island must be returned to the fold, by force if necessary.
Without mentioning him by name, Chinese leader Hu Jintao made a fresh offer to open a dialogue with Chen, one week after President Bush had urged Hu by telephone to try again to open talks.
"Regardless of person or political party and regardless of what he or it has said or done, we are willing to hold talks on developing cross-Strait relations so long as he or it recognizes the 'one China' principle and the 1992 consensus," said Hu, who is both president and Communist Party chief.
He was speaking at a meeting with James Soong, leader of Taiwan's opposition People First Party. Two months ago, China's parliament passed a law mandating use of "non-peaceful" means, including war, to seize the island if it formally declared statehood.
DIRECT FLIGHTS
After Thursday's meeting in Beijing, the two parties issued a communique that pledged to push for talks to establish a cross-Strait free trade zone and to start regular direct flights between the two sides next year.
Taiwan has banned non-stop transport links since 1949 because of security fears.
The joint communique also contained the "two sides, one China" wording, redefining an agreement between Chinese and Taiwan negotiators in 1992 that the mainland and the island form "one China." Hu had said earlier that the 1992 consensus, as it is called, was the political basis for dialogue.
"The one China policy' is to Hongkong-ise Taiwan, to localize Taiwan, to make it a special administration area of China," Chen told Formosa Television. "This is why I can't accept it."
Chen, who won the island's presidency in 2000 after five decades of rule by the Chinese Nationalists or Kuomintang (KMT), has refused to accept the 1992 consensus, arguing that both sides at the time had merely agreed to disagree.
The communique also said conflict in what is seen as a dangerous flashpoint could be avoided.
"As long as there is no possibility of Taiwan developing toward 'Taiwan independence', armed conflict across the Strait can be effectively avoided," it said.
Beijing suspended semi-official dialogue with Taipei in 1999 after then Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui tried to reassert the island's sovereignty by redefining bilateral ties as "special state to state."
Despite the political face-off, two-way trade, investment and tourism have flourished, and Taiwan investors have poured an estimated $100 billion into China.....
For the full text, go to:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050512/wl_nm/china_taiwan_dc/nc:731