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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