China may raise issue of Taiwan

China is expected to raise the "Taiwan issue" during the first meeting between US President George W. Bush and Chinese president Jiang Zemin (江澤民) on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Shanghai. China, however, claimed there would be no quid pro quo trading support for the US-led anti-terrorism coalition for concessions on Taiwan.

"China has made clear its stance on anti-terrorism, and it won't take this issue to bargain with [the US]. Both on the issue of anti-terrorism and on Taiwan, we have our principles and stances. We'll act in accordance with our principles," said Zhu Bangzao (朱邦造), spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry.

Bush is scheduled to reach Shanghai today at 6pm to attend the APEC summit this weekend, the first major international gathering of Asia-Pacific leaders since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the US.

Bush is scheduled to meet Jiang at 10am tomorrow.

"Both leaders will exchange views on issues of mutual concern, including Sino-US relations and regional and international issues. On bilateral relations, we've always regarded `the Taiwan question' as an important and sensitive issue," Zhu said yesterday afternoon at Shanghai's International Media Center.

When asked if Beijing would ask Washington to reiterate the "three no's" policy during Bush's stay in Shanghai, Zhu said: "The US has always expressed that stance. Insistence on the `one China' principle has been reiterated by the US government several times since Bush's inauguration."

The "three no's" policy holds that the US will not support independence for Taiwan; a "two Chinas" or "one Taiwan, one China" policy; or support Taiwan's membership in any organization for which statehood is a requirement.

Former US President Bill Clinton articulated the "three no's" policy in Shanghai during his 1998 tour of China, a statement resented by some Taiwanese.

When asked how Bush's trip to Shanghai would help the US build a coalition on terrorism, US National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice said in Washington on Monday: "The Chinese have been very helpful on the information-sharing side, and we'll want to continue to talk about those efforts."

When asked to comment on Bush's intention to establish a "coalition on terrorism" yesterday afternoon, Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan (唐家璇) said: "the term is rather loose. [One should call it] the joint organization on terrorism."

Tang also confirmed that the two-day APEC ministerial meeting, which began in Shanghai yesterday, agreed that a working breakfast composed of attending foreign ministers "would specifically address the issue of anti-terrorism."

Taiwan's two ministers attending the APEC ministerial meeting have been blocked from the breakfast session, with China claiming "the breakfast is confined to foreign ministers only."

Taiwan's foreign ministers and vice foreign ministers have been blocked from attending any APEC activities, a rule stipulated in related memoranda of understanding in 1991, that set the terms for Taiwan's admission to the organization.

Some critics say the upcoming Bush-Jiang summit is of crucial importance, especially given the less-than-smooth Sino-US ties earlier in the year, due largely to the collision of a US reconnaissance plane with a Chinese fighter plane and over a robust US arms sale to Taiwan.