China tones down rhetoric against Taiwan
China tones down rhetoric against Taiwan
BEIJING (Reuter): Beijing cooled its diatribes against victorious Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui yesterday, proposing a summit between China's communist leaders and their rivals on the island it claims as a rebel province.
However, Foreign Ministry spokesman Shen Guofang reserved angry words for the United States, saying its dispatch of a naval armada to waters near Taiwan sent a signal to Taipei that Washington supported pro-independence activities on the Nationalist-ruled territory.
"Regardless of what election the Taiwan area holds and the results of the election, there are two things that it cannot change -- one is that Taiwan is a part of China and the second is that the Taiwan leader is a local leader," Shen told Reuters.
"Our policy towards Taiwan has not changed and that is peaceful reunification," he said, urging Taiwan to lift a ban on direct trade, transport and mail links with the mainland.
In a goodwill gesture, Shen renewed a peace overture to rival Taiwan, split from the mainland since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949.
"The two sides should realize a high-level summit between their leaders," he said, opening the door to possible talks with the man China has identified as its arch-enemy, Lee Teng-hui.
In Taipei, Premier Lien Chan said yesterday that Taiwan was "seriously" considering the question of signing a peace treaty with China and wanted to start negotiations immediately to pave the way for a bilateral summit.
"As far as a peace agreement is concerned...we are interested in thinking seriously about it and a lot of preparations need to be done for that," Lien, Lee's vice-presidential running mate, told a small group of reporters.
Beijing's response to the first democratic election in history on Chinese soil in Taiwan on Saturday avoided an attack on election victor Lee, whom it has vilified as a "dictator" destined for "the dustbin of history".
Striving to save face after staging high-profile war games off the island to cow voters before the polls, China hailed the election result as a victory for its intimidation tactics.
"People here held that China's opposition to separatism and 'Taiwan independence' has demonstrated the Chinese people's firm determination to safeguard their country's sovereignty and territory integrity," the official Xinhua news agency said.
"(It) thus dealt a heavy blow to the 'Taiwan independence' and separatist forces," Xinhua said.
However, Shen said the elections did not mark a turning point in troubled ties between Beijing and Taipei.
Whether tensions would ease hinged on Taiwan authorities abandoning attempts to split the motherland, not only in words but also through action, Shen said. "It's very simple."
China launched a series of missile tests and military exercises off the island's shores this month to try to frighten voters into rejecting Lee, who Beijing believes is bent on declaring Taiwanese independence. He denies the allegation.
Shen attacked foreign interference when asked about a U.S. decision to send aircraft carriers to seas near Taiwan to monitor tension between the mainland and Taipei.
"On the Taiwan problem we believe the U.S. government has hurt the feelings of the Chinese people," Shen said, adding that Washington had broken promises to Beijing by selling advanced weapons to Taiwan and raising the level of unofficial ties.
"If the United States... is flaunting its military force, it is a very unwise policy," Shen said.
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