Thu, May 06, 2004 page3

• Cautious optimism over hint from Beijing

  CROSS-STRAIT MANEUVER? A Chinese academic was quoted as saying Beijing's leadership recognizes the reality of Taiwan, but maintains their `one China' principle

  • By Melody Chen / STAFF REPORTER
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  Government officials responded cautiously yesterday to a front-page story in Singapore's Straits Times that said Beijing was ready to accept Taiwan has existed as a separate entity since 1949.

  The daily quoted Li Jiaquan (李家泉), former head of the Taiwan Research Institute in Beijing, as saying China's leadership recognizes the reality of Taiwan, but that this does not amount to it "giving up on the `one China' principle."

  The Presidential Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said they needed to check the details of the story and had no comments.

  Mainland Affairs Council Vice Chairman Chen Ming-tong (陳明通), however, urged the Chinese authorities to accept the existence of the Republic of China (ROC).

  On Tuesday the council had dismissed rumors that Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) made a secret trip to Singapore to ask Senior Minister Lee Kuan-yew (李光耀) to act as the envoy between Taiwan and China ahead of President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) inauguration on May 20.

  Meanwhile, Zhang Mingqing (張銘清), spokesman of the Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) of China's State Council, yesterday denied Beijing is prepared to accept Taiwan as a separate entity.

  "I haven't heard of the idea. We are not considering doing so," Zhang said, adding Li's personal opinion does not reflect official thinking.

  Zhang noted that since TAO officials are currently on vacation -- the nationwide weeklong Labor Day holiday began last Saturday -- the office would not be able to make a formal response to the report until May 12.

  The report, however, said Li made it clear that Beijing knew what he was going to say.

  "I can say things which they [Beijing officials] cannot and will not say publicly," the paper quoted Li as saying.

  Meanwhile, the hint that Beijing might be ready to recognize the existence of the ROC was welcomed, with some restraint, by officials in this country familiar with cross-strait affairs.

  With the inauguration only two weeks away, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Chung-hsin (陳忠信), who is also head of the DPP's Mainland Affairs Department, said Beijing may want to see how Taiwan would react if it displays more flexibility in cross-strait policies.

  The legislator has been a close friend of Li for more than a decade and said Li frequently makes stunning remarks.

  He questioned how much Li's comments reflected Beijing's official attitude, given that Li retired from his academic career in 1994.

  Some Key government officials in Beijing might share Li's opinion and if so, slight changes in China's cross-strait policies might be expected, the lawmaker said.

  "But surely the policy changes will not include acceptance of Taiwan as a separate entity," he said, adding that it's risky to speculate on Beijing's real intention based upon a single media report.

  The lawmaker responded guardedly to Beijing's definition of the status quo as given by Li in the report.

  "For the time being, we can go along with the present status quo, which we define as `two sides, one country,'" Li said.

  Contents of Beijing's "one China" principle are far more complicated than the status quo point made by Li, Chen Chung-hsin said.

  Legislator Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) said a key test of Beijing's position will be at the World Health Assembly (WHA) this month in Geneva.

  Taiwan is making its eighth consecutive application for observer status -- as a "health entity" -- at the World Health Organization at the WHA meeting, which opens May 17. China has blocked the previous attempts.

  "The WHA will be the place to test whether China really means what it says," Hsiao said.

  "Actions speak louder than words," she said.

  However, she said Li's comments in the Singaporean newspaper, demonstrated some signs of flexibility.

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