Sino-American row worsens<\/p>\n
BEIJING (Reuter): China yesterday threatened new reprisals
\nunless Washington rescinds its decision to allow a visit by
\nTaiwan President Lee Teng-hui, saying reunification with the
\nNationalist-ruled island outweighs Sino-United States ties.<\/p>\n
"If the United States does not return to the correct
\ncourse...the Chinese side would make further response," Chinese
\nForeign Ministry spokesman Shen Guofang told a regular weekly
\nnews briefing.<\/p>\n
Shen declined to say what the response would be, only that it
\nhinged on further development of the situation.<\/p>\n
"The consequences would be grave and would seriously harm
\nSino-U.S. relations," Shen said.<\/p>\n
China has canceled the May 30-31 U.S. visit of State
\nCouncillor Li Guixian to protest Washington's decision to let Lee
\nattend a June reunion at his alma mater Cornell University in
\nIthaca, New York.<\/p>\n
Beijing says the trip undermined a longstanding U.S. policy of
\n"one China".<\/p>\n
On Tuesday China abruptly recalled its air force commander and
\nhis delegation from the U.S., slashing the final four days from
\ntheir 11-day visit.<\/p>\n
A meeting of Chinese and American lawyers scheduled to be held
\nin Beijing and Shanghai from June 9-18 has been postponed
\nindefinitely, a spokesman for the All China Lawyers' Association
\nsaid. He gave no reason.<\/p>\n
Shen said reunification of China and Taiwan was more important
\nthan Sino-U.S. relations.<\/p>\n
"We have consistently attached importance to Sino-U.S.
\nrelations, but for us, safeguarding the country's sovereignty and
\nrealizing reunification of the motherland is the priority," Shen
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Beijing and Taipei have competed for international recognition
\nsince 1949, when the Nationalists were routed by the communists
\nin the Chinese civil war and took refuge on the offshore island.<\/p>\n
Both sides say they espouse reunification but disagree on the
\nterms.<\/p>\n
Shen said he was confident China's other diplomatic allies
\nwould not follow in the footsteps of the U.S. and allow Lee to
\nvisit.<\/p>\n
In Washington, State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns said
\nthe U.S. had no intention of rescinding the visa for Lee and that
\nit would continue to try to keep U.S.-China relations on a stable
\ncourse.<\/p>\n
Washington switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing from
\nTaipei in 1979, and had maintained an informal ban on visits by
\ntop Taiwan officials so as not to antagonize China, which regards
\nTaiwan as a renegade province.<\/p>\n
Chinese Foreign Minister Qian Qichen strongly protested the
\nplanned visit to U.S. Ambassador Stapleton Roy in Beijing on
\nTuesday and called for Washington to reverse its decision.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile,in Korea, China has told South Korea that allowing
\nTaiwan's president to visit Seoul before the president of China
\ncould cause trouble between them, a Seoul ruling party official
\nsaid yesterday.<\/p>\n
"Chinese embassy officials have recently told us that it could
\ncause trouble between the two countries if Taiwan President Lee
\nTung-hui's visit to Seoul is made ahead of President Jiang
\nZemin's visit," the official at the Democratic Liberal Party
\n(DLP) said.<\/p>\n
The official, who did not want to be identified, said Li
\nShuzheng, head of the external liaison department of the Chinese
\nCommunist Party, brought up a similar issue during his trip to
\nSeoul in March.<\/p>\n
Seoul provoked angry protests from Taipei when it switched its
\ndiplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 1992 but the two
\nsides have exchanged representative offices, which issue visas
\nand promote trade and other relations.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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