Taiwan remains inalienable from mainland: China

Taiwan remains inalienable from mainland: China

BEIJING (Agencies): China reaffirmed yesterday its total
opposition to the idea of Taiwan as a democratic sovereign state
following the election of Lee Teng-hui for a second presidential
term on the island.

While respecting the right of "Taiwan compatriots" to develop
democratic politics, China's Taiwan Affairs Office stressed that
such a process could only take place on the understanding that
Taiwan is an inalienable part of China.

"We resolutely oppose any attempt to divorce from the fact
that Taiwan is a part of China, or to advocate Taiwan 'as a main
body' or to declare on Taiwan 'a new era when sovereignty lies
with the people,'" the office said in a statement.

The statement was a direct reaction to the inaugural speech
delivered on Monday by Lee, who won a landslide election in
Taiwan's first free presidential elections on March 23.

The statement made no reference to Lee's offer to fly to
Beijing to bridge the bitter 46-year rift between the rival
governments, and at the same time gave a cynical response to
Lee's declaration that Taiwanese independence was "totally
unnecessary and impossible."

"The Taiwan authorities must take concrete actions, rather
than providing spoken guarantees, to stop their activities aimed
at creating two Chinas, or one China one Taiwan, and to genuinely
stand by the principle of one China," the statement said.

Without naming Lee specifically, the statement also accused
the Taiwanese leadership of attempting to split Chinese territory
and divide state sovereignty.

At a press briefing, foreign ministry spokesman Cui Tiankai
refused to respond to questions on Lee's speech, stating Taiwan
was an internal issue and unrelated to China's foreign policy.

In the past, such a stonewalling ploy has been taken as an
indication that the government has yet to decide on an official
response to any fresh initiative from Taipei regarding relations
across the Taiwan Strait.

Analysts said any detailed government reaction to Lee's speech
would be postponed until President Jiang Zemin's return from his
African tour.

Most Taiwan people support President Lee Teng-hui's proposed
"journey of peace" to China and say the rivals should reunite in
the next century, an opinion survey published in Taipei yesterday
showed.

The survey, conducted by the mass-circulation United Daily
News , said 55 percent of the 774 respondents believed Lee should
visit the communist mainland.

Only 19 percent would object to such a trip.

The survey said 45 percent responded that Taiwan and China,
rivals since a civil war ended in 1949, should reunite in the
21st century. Twenty-four percent objected to unification after
2000.

Beijing, which regards Taiwan as a rebel province, has long
accused Lee of pursuing independence by raising Taiwan's
international profile while paying lip service to unification.
China vows to attack if Taiwan declares independence.

Lee belittled China's stance on independence, describing it as
a moot issue because the Republic of China -- Taiwan's official
title -- already exists as a sovereign state.

Chinese officials have said Lee is welcome to visit in his
capacity as chairman of Taiwan's Nationalist Party but not as
president.

The Taiwanese surveyed shared their president's defiant
attitude, with 51 percent believing Lee should visit as
president. Only 14 percent said he should go as chairman.

Leaders of Taiwan's main opposition, the pro-independence
Democratic Progressive Party, lauded Lee's offer of talks but
said the first summit should not be in China.