Taipei prepares for peace dialogue
Taipei is prepared to resume talks with Beijing to ease cross-strait tension after the direct presidential election on Saturday.
Taiwan premier Lien Chan yesterday said the Government hoped to achieve more by cultivating negotiations on an equal basis.
Taiwan has been seriously considering signing a 'peace agreement' which includes a clause on China's renunciation of use of force against Taiwan, Mr Lien said.
He also did not rule out the possibility of having dialogue with Beijing on an official governmental basis.
The premier, however, declined to comment on Washington's deployment of battleships near Taiwan except for thanking the United States for its support.
Mr Lien was responding to questions at an international press conference held yesterday to campaign for the Kuomintang vice-presidential and presidential candidates - himself and incumbent President Lee Teng-hui.
Mr Lee said China's missile tests and amphibious exercises had failed to upset the people of Taiwan. Rather, they had helped to unite the population.
'Despite the heat of the presidential campaign, the entire society is leading life almost as usual,' the president said.
'The missile tests and the sea and air exercises of the Chinese communists have not disturbed our people,' the president said.
'Instead, what Beijing has been doing has served to prove the strength of feeling of the 21 million people of Taiwan,' Mr Lee said.
The president also reiterated that he was committed to 'unification', but said that would only be possible after China had taken moves to become a more democratic nation. 'We would like in the future to have China unified, in freedom and democracy,' he said.
Taiwan vice-premier Hsu Li-teh yesterday said that if both sides imposed self-restraint, it would ease tension.
Mr Hsu said consultation and dialogue should replace confrontation between Taiwan and China after the presidential election.
Yesterday, China's Taiwan Affairs Office issued a statement denying reports in the Taiwan press which quoted the office director, Wang Zhaoguo, as expressing his approval of the presidential election.
Instead, the statement contained much harsher language condemning any 'separatist moves' in Taiwan and said such activity would inevitably lead the island to disaster.
It said Mr Wang told a visiting Taiwan business delegation that no matter who was in power in Taiwan, if he violated the 'one China' principle and advocated the island's independence, putting the 21 million people at risk, it would bring disastrous consequences to Taiwan.
