Beijing rolled out its propaganda machinery yesterday to woo Taipei into talks on reunification. Seminars and receptions in Beijing were attended by former politicians with close links to Taiwan. The national media carried special commentaries to stress the urgency of political dialogue. The propaganda frenzy was part of an overture marking the third anniversary of the 'eight-point' proposals by President Jiang Zemin in 1995. Then, Mr Jiang offered to end cross-strait hostility and open discussions under the 'one-China' principle. In a reception organised by the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference yesterday, scores of politicians urged Taiwan to respond to Mr Jiang's peace offer quickly. Wan Guoquan, a vice-chairman of the body, called on Taipei to join hands with Beijing in 'protecting and safeguarding China's sovereignty and integrity of national territory'. Another vice-chairman, Qian Weichang, urged Taiwanese political parties which supported unification to work with Beijing to promote early realisation of direct communication and transportation across the Taiwan Strait. The People's Daily yesterday published a special commentary emphasising the importance of early talks between Beijing and Taipei. It indirectly criticised President Lee Teng-hui for what it described as sabotaging 'constructive interaction' between the sides by visiting the United States in 1995.
