Extracts.
Friday, November 24, 2000, updated at 14:24(GMT+8)
Are Cross-Strait Relations Stabilized?
Recently, the Japanese monthly, Voice, carried, in
its December issue, the text of an exclusive
interview with the leader of the Taiwan authorities,
one section of his speech has attracted the attention
of various quarters. The said section is to the
effect that since he came to office on May 20, "the
cross-Strait relationship remains in a stable state
as it did before the general election," this shows
that "the new government's method of handling the
cross-Strait relationship should be seen as
successful".
This statement shows that the speaker was optimistic
about his judgement on the current situation
regarding the cross-Strait relations, and that he had
no worry about the anticipated development prospect
of future cross-Strait relationship and he was
pleased with the way of his handling the ties between
the two sides of the Taiwan Straits. However, what,
after all, is the truth about the cross-Strait
relationship?
Since the leader of the Taiwan authorities came to
office, the cross-Strait relationship has always been
in a tense situation, Western observers likened the
relationship to the state of a "fragile balance" or a
"balance of terror". The Taiwan authorities refuse to
accept the one-China principle, the political
deadlock between the two sides has not been broken,
there is no mutual trust between the two sides, a
state of hostility remains, there is a more intense
trial of strength between reunification and
independence hidden under the superficial stability
of the cross-Strait relations.
As the Taiwan authorities are standing on the
crossroad of deciding where to go, so is the
cross-Strait relationship. It is very dangerous to
allow the present deadlock of the cross-Strait
relationship and the tense situation to continue for
a long time, any subjective, willful move will likely
become a blasting fuse that breaks the fragile,
temporary and unstable balance and plunge Taiwan into
calamities. Can this be a situation for the Taiwan
authorities to take pride in"?!
Since the leader of the Taiwan authorities came to
office, the political and economic situation in the
Island has been plunged into utter chaos: endless
political struggle between people in power and those
not in power, crises facing the administration, a 40
percent fall in the stock price within half a year,
over NT$200,000 worth of per-capita property loss;
the unemployment rate has soared to a new high over
the past dozen years, the number of the unemployed
has exceeded 300,000 people; social security has
deteriorated, the suffering index of people has
climbed from 3.97 percent to 4.85 percent, 20 percent
of the local people want to migrate overseas;
business people lack confidence in the investment
environment and their wishes to invest in the island
have come to a low point, large numbers of them have
left the region, etc.
There are many reasons for the emergence of these
phenomena, but the occurrence of such a situation is
closely related with Taiwan authorities' refusal to
accept the one-China principle and their unsteady
mainland policy, the tense cross-Strait relations and
clouds gathering over the prospect of Taiwan.
"Part of the financial and economic problems are
caused by the cross-Strait relations" (said former
deputy director Kao Kung-lien of Taiwan "mainland
affairs council"). Can the leader of Taiwan
authorities flatly deny this?
People can't help asking: Where is the manifestation
of the "success" of the "method used in handling the
cross-Strait relations" as claimed by the leader of
the Taiwan authorities? What is there in the present
state of the cross-Strait relations that makes him
feel complacent?!
In fact, far-sighted personages at home and abroad,
including Lee Kuan Yew, had long before made
pertinent criticisms of Taiwan authorities' mainland
policy. An active advocator and promoter of the
policy "adopting patience in place of impatience" of
the former Taiwan authorities, after his return to
the island from a recent visit to the mainland,
expressed his impressions by saying that he was
"shocked" by the development, construction and work
efficiency in the mainland; the policy of "adopting
patience instead of impatience" does not work,
Taiwan businessmen have left for the mainland as far
as they can, and they can make money there, too; the
question relating to cross-Strait ties is, in the
end, a trial of economic strength, but now, as I see
it, the time does not lie on the side of Taiwan; as
the mainland grows ever-stronger economically, Taiwan
is losing its bargaining chips for negotiation.
It is believed that the worry of this personage is
quite representative and influential in the Island.
We wonder if the leader of the Taiwan authorities,
after hearing this, still has the feeling or delusion
that he can sleep peacefully without worry about the
cross-Strait relations and continue to indulge
himself in self-intoxication like Ah Q. if he
deceives the Taiwan people and befuddle public
opinion in this way, then Taiwan is in peril! Or will
he wake up suddenly, change his course as soon as
possible, and return to the common understanding of
the one-China principle guiding cross-Strait
relations which was reached in 1992, only by so doing
can the cross-Strait relations be guided to "the
state of stability"!
A signed article by Qin Jing carried on the Overseas
Edition of People's Daily
****
Friday, November 24, 2000, updated at 11:22(GMT+8)
Fourth ASEAN Informal Summit Begins
The Fourth ASEAN Informal Summit began for
discussions of issues the leaders are concerned about
and interested in on the morning of November 24.
Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong of Singapore, as a host,
was the first speaker at the roundtable meeting.
The summit is expected to discuss the two reports
ASEAN foreign minister agreed at their Thursday's
meeting to present to this summit.
One is the report presented by ASEAN's Eminent
Persons Group (EPG) on steps toward achieving ASEAN's
"Vision 2020". The EPG, which was tasked with
recommending measures to help create a vibrant and
prosperous ASEAN by 2020, met over the past 18 months
and came up with a range of recommendations covering
financial, trade and investment, social, education
and culture, health��external relations and
institutions.
Informed sources said that EPG has urged ASEAN to
take an active lead in building a regional financial
architecture in East Asia towards a new global
reform.
The other report was presented by ASEAN - Japan
Consultation Conference on the Hanoi Plan of Action
endorsed by the Sixth ASEAN Summit held at Hanoi at
the end of 1998. Some 45 points of recommendations in
various areas were reportedly contained in the
document with a view to enhance the cooperation
between ASEAN and Japan.
As at previous informal summits, ASEAN leaders
attending the ongoing summit are believed to talk
about whatever subjects they would like to touch
regarding this regional grouping.
Leaders Gathering
Heads of state or government of the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and East Asian
countries are arriving in Singapore Thursday
(November 23) for summits scheduled for Friday and
Saturday.
Among the leaders arriving here are Cambodian Prime
Minister Hun Sen, Lao Prime Minister Sisavath
Keobounpanth, Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai,
Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, Myanmar
Prime Minister Than Shwe, Indonesian President
Abdurrahman Wahid, Philippine President Joseph
Ejercito Estrada, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir
bin Mohamad, Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, South Korean
President Kim Dae Jung, Brunei Sultan Haji Hassnal
Bolkiah and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori.
Officials Prepare for ASEAN Summit
Senior officials from members of the Association of
Southeast Nations (ASEAN) and East Asian countries
gathered November 23 to make preparations for later
summits which will involve ASEAN and East Asian
leaders.
The fourth ASEAN Informal Summit, said the officials,
is expected to focus on topics of strengthening the
regional grouping's unity and moving its integration
process forward.
****
Friday, November 24, 2000, updated at 11:22(GMT+8)
Israel Must Lift Siege Before Talks Can Resume:
Palestinian Minister
Palestinian International Cooperation Minister Nabil
Shaath said here Thursday the resumption of the
Palestinian-Israeli peace talks depends on Israel's
end of siege on the Palestinian territories.
The official MENA news agency quoted Shaath as saying
that Palestinians are ready to resume negotiations
with Israel, but the Jewish state must first pull
back its forces and lift its closure on the
Palestinian self-rule areas.
Shaath made the remarks while commenting on a
statement by Israeli Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami
that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat wants to resume
the peace process.
Shaath said "the Palestinian side has never declared
to give up the peace process," adding that it is
difficult for the time being to talk about peace when
Israel is attacking the Palestinians and putting them
under a fatal air, land, and sea closure.
He urged Israel to implement the Sharm el Sheikh
agreement reached between the two sides last month,
which required Israel to withdraw its troops from
Palestinian towns they garrisoned after the eruption
of the current Palestinian-Israeli clashes.
During last month's multilateral summit held at
Egypt's Red Sea resort Sharm el Sheikh, Israeli Prime
Minister Ehud Barak and Arafat agreed to take
measures to stop the bloody clashes between the two
sides, which have kill over 260 people, mostly
Palestinians, and wounded thousands since late
September.
The peace talks between the two sides have not
resumed since the collapsed summit between Barak and
Arafat hosted by United States President Bill Clinton
at Camp David in July.
Officials Meet at Erez Checkpoint
Senior officials of Israel and the Palestinian
National Authority (PNA) met Thursday evening to try
to bring calm to the Palestinian territories, Israel
Radio reported.
Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh and
Coordinator for the Territories Maj-Gen Ya'acov Orr
met with PNA Minister of Civil Affairs Jamil Tarifi
and PNA Secretary-General Tayeb Abdel-Rahim.
****
Arafat to Arrive in Moscow for Talks with Putin Palestinian leader Yasser
Arafat is to arrive in Moscow on Friday (November 24) to discuss the
situation in the Middle East with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the
Palestinian Embassy here said Thursday.
Arafat and Putin will hold talks on "the latest dangerous developments in
the Middle East and the escalation of the Israeli army's military
operations against the people of Palestine," a Palestinian Embassy
spokesman told reporters.
"President Vladimir Putin and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat will meet in
the Kremlin on Friday," Putin's spokesman Alexei Gromov confirmed on the
same day.
The meeting has been organized at the request of the Palestinian side, he said.
****
China Calls for Israeli Restraint over Mideast Violence China called upon
Israel to exercise restraint to prevent the further escalation of the
current confrontation in the Middle East, saying that "the excessive use of
force" will make the prospects for the resumption of the Middle East peace
process even more remote.
The statement came as Wang Yingfan, the Chinese permanent representative to
the United Nations, took the floor at an urgent Security Council meeting on
the Middle East issue.
"The past two days have seen a drastic escalation and spreading of the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict," he said. "We have seen a large increase of
casualties on both sides, including many innocent children."
"The casualties on the Palestinian side is more serious," he said. "The
Palestinian economy has been seriously affected, and the sufferings of the
civilians have been further deepened."
"The Chinese side is against violence of any form," he said. "We always
call on both sides to exercise restraint and take all necessary measures to
prevent the situation from further deteriorating."
"Under the current circumstances, we urge the Israeli side in particular to
exercise restraint," he said. "The excessive use of force can only lead to
a vicious cycle of uncontrollable violence and conflicts, thus making the
prospects for the resumption of Middle East peace process even more
remote."
"Now the entire Middle East situation has entered a very dangerous moment,"
Wang said. "We are convinced that peace remains the option for all sides,
and it remains the only option."
The Chinese ambassador noted that UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, as
mandated by the Security Council, is conducting mediations and
consultations among parties concerned.
"China supports the efforts by the secretary-general," he said. "We call on
all parties concerned, especially the Israeli side, to actively cooperate
with the secretary-general, and also support the early start of the work by
the International Fact-finding Committee."
Wang also called on Israel to "give serious consideration to the proposal
of the deployment of international observers in the conflict area, so as to
create favorable conditions for alleviating the situation and resuming the
peace talks."
The Security Council began the urgent meeting Wednesday afternoon to
discuss the escalating violence in the Palestinian territories.
A seven-week-long confrontation between Israelis and Palestinians has
killed nearly 300 people, mostly Palestinians, reports said.
China Voices Concern over Violence in Middle East China is deeply concerned
over the prolonged violent conflict between the Israeli and Palestinian
sides, and calls for an end to the conflict, Chinese Foreign Ministry
Spokesman Sun Yuxi said November 21.
Sun said in a regular press conference here that the prolonged violence has
caused great losses to people of both sides, particularly the Palestinian
side.
President Concerned over Mideast Violence Chinese President Jiang Zemin
October 12 expressed deep concern over the ongoing clashes between Israeli
forces and Palestinians, urging the two sides to act immediately to prevent
the situation from further escalating.
In separate messages sent to Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, Jiang said that as the
Palestinian-Israeli peace talks are in a critical stage, China urges all
related parties to take measures immediately to prevent the situation from
deteriorating, and stop all words and deeds not conducive to the talks.
****
Commentary: Voice of Justice for Defense of Peace The "Resolution Draft on
Safeguarding and Observing the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM for
short)" jointly tabled by China, Russia, Belarussia and Kyrgyzstan was
adopted on November 20 by the 55th UN General Assembly with an overwhelming
majority of 88 votes for and five votes against.
The Resolution calls on the ABM treaty contracting parties to fully and
strictly abide by this treaty and refrain from deploying any anti-ballistic
missile system capable of protecting the whole area of a country. The
Resolution also stresses that violation of this treaty will disrupt global
strategic stability and world peace and hinder the nuclear disarmament
process.
Last year, the 54th UN General Assembly had adopted the resolution on
"Safeguarding and Observing the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty" for the
first time with an overwhelming majority.
The fact that the UN General Assembly this year again passed a similar
resolution fully demonstrates the will and determination of the vast
majority of countries around the world to oppose US development and
deployment of a national missile defense system, and their unwillingness to
see the vigorous efforts to be impacted, efforts made by the international
community in the fields of military control, disarmament and prevention of
nuclear proliferation after the conclusion of the Cold War; it reflects the
common voice of all nations and people, including the Chinese people, in
their expectations for the achievement of the goal for peace, security and
development.
The ABM treaty, reached between the United States and the former Soviet
Union in 1972, is seen as a cornerstone of global strategic stability and
international security as well as US-Soviet (Russian) nuclear disarmament.
In recent years, however, the United States, in a bid to obtain absolute
military superiority and under the pretext of preventing certain "rogue"
countries from launching possible missile attack on it, vigorously pushes
forward the development and deployment of theater missile defense (TMD)
system and national missile defense (NMD) system in flagrant disregard of
the explicit stipulations of the ABM.
This move of the United States will seriously undermine the global
strategic stability, trigger a new arms race, lead to the deterioration of
the international security situation, and has thus naturally encountered
the strong opposition from the international forces of justice.
In the face of the enormous international and domestic pressure, in early
September this year, US President Bill Clinton declared that his country
would temporarily not deploy the national missile defense system.
But it must be noted that this decision of the United States was made under
the circumstance wherein the technology of the United States has not
reached the set standard and its move has met with the resolute opposition
of the international community, its plan for the national missile defense
system has not been abolished, but instead the country continues to
vigorously research and develop the system and conduct relevant tests.
Regarding this, peace-loving people should maintain a sober understanding.
At the turn of the century, how to promote the disarmament process and
safeguard international security is a major and urgent question to the
common concern of various countries around the world. The old security
concept using intensification of arms race as the means does not help
guarantee international security, still less construct lasting world peace,
the self-interest of an individual country seeking absolute nuclear
advantage will eventually suffer serious losses.
For this reason, we advise the United States, which owns the world's
largest nuclear arsenal and bears special responsibility on the issue of
nuclear disarmament, to seize the hour and size up the situation, listen
more carefully to the voice of the international community, strictly abide
by and conscientiously carry out the ABM Treaty, and quickly and thoroughly
abanbon its plan for the national missile defense system which harms others
but does not benefit itself.
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