Monday, May 22

MIRO CERNETIG
China Bureau; With a report from Associated Press
Monday, May 22, 2000

Beijing -- Seeking to calm rival Beijing, Taiwan's new President has promised not to declare independence from China -- so long as Communist China does not threaten to invade the island of 22 million people.

The statement by Chen Shui-bian, who was installed as Taiwan's President on Saturday, is likely to ease relations between Beijing and Taipei, at least temporarily.

It was less than the endorsement of the one-China principle that China wanted to hear from the new leader of Taiwan, but not the outright independence rhetoric that Beijing feared from a man who once yelled, "Long live Taiwan independence."

"As long as the Chinese Communist Party regime has no intention to use military force against Taiwan, I pledge that during my term in office I will not declare independence," Mr. Chen said in his inaugural speech, which was viewed as a major statement outlining his policy toward reunification with China.

Mr. Chen, whose Democratic Party has supported independence, did not remove his support from the 1991 National Reunification Guidelines, which represent a process for reunifying China and Taiwan. It declares that "both the mainland and Taiwan areas are parts of Chinese territory."

The reaction to Mr. Chen's speech from China, whose leadership has made taking back Taiwan a major political issue, was muted. On the streets of Beijing in recent days, soldiers have been seen drilling with unloaded guns. And the government has shown little sign of moving back on its hard-line message that Taiwan must adhere to the one-China policy, and faces invasion if it dares to deviate by declaring independence.

"If anyone dares to try to split Taiwan from China, he will bear historical responsibility for causing a resumption of China's civil war," the Xinhua News Agency warned.

Beijing added that Mr. Chen "avoided the crucial issue of accepting the one-China policy; the attitude is evasive and vague."

But Mr. Chen's speech presented no new moves toward independence. He simply said that "both sides possess enough wisdom and creativity to jointly deal with the question of a future 'one China.' "

Although Taiwan has developed into a free-wheeling democracy, most Western countries, including Canada, take the position that it is part of "one China" and must peacefully return to Beijing's control.

The United States, which has recently refused pressure to take an active role in negotiating between Taipei and Beijing, praised Mr. Chen for holding out the opportunity for more talks between the two sides, which have been split since the Communist Revolution in 1949, when anti-Communists fled to Taiwan.

"We congratulate Mr. Chen Shui-bian on his inauguration in Taiwan," White House spokesman David Stockwell said.

"His election and the smooth transition demonstrated clearly the strength and vitality of Taiwan's democracy. Mr. Chen's election and inauguration provide a fresh opportunity for Taiwan and the People's Republic of China to reach out and resolve their differences peacefully."

Mr. Chen said yesterday he would seriously consider ending a five-decade-long ban on direct air and shipping links with China, which is separated from his island by the 125-kilometre-wide Taiwan Strait.

The ban on direct links has been in effect since the Communists took control of the mainland in 1949. Since then, Taiwan has been reluctant to allow direct links, fearing they would compromise the island's security.

The numerous Taiwanese businesses that trade with the mainland are also eager for the law to be changed.