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SCMP Reporter

A SENIOR Kuomintang (KMT) official has expressed reservations about Taipei's chances of re-admissionto the United Nations.

  Professor Li Tchong-koei, the KMT deputy secretary-general, said in Hong Kong yesterday Taiwan would face tremendous opposition in its bid to rejoin the world body.

  ''Frankly, though we try every effort [to enter the UN], it is hard to see that we can succeed,'' said Professor Li, who is also head of the KMT's women's affairs department.

  She said Beijing's clout in the UN might enable it to thwart Taiwan's bid.

  However, Professor Li said the UN could not rule out Taiwan's ''participation'' because of the island's population of more than 20 million and its influential economic role in the international society.

  She said China's recently published White Paper on policy towards Taiwan, would not undermine Taipei's resolution to try to re-enter the UN.

  Professor Li, a newly elected member of the KMT's central standing committee, did not think Taiwan's re-admission to UN would hamper cross-Strait unification.

  ''The main obstacle for unification is differences in ideology and political system,'' she said.

  In Hong Kong to attend an academic conference, Professor Li said relations with the mainland were still at the stage of ''[non-official] exchanges for mutual benefit''.

  ''We hope to use any method to gradually [make China] achieve freedom, democracy, legal spirit and equal wealth distribution,'' Professor Li said.

   She said Taipei authorities hoped Beijing would have a ''positive and sincere'' response to Taiwan's mainland policy.

  Despite China's opposition to Taiwan's re-admission to the UN, Professor Li said she strongly supported China's bid to host the 2000 Olympics, provided Beijing did not politicise the event.

  Professor Li's Hong Kong tour follows a series of visits to the territory by senior party and government officials from Taiwan.

   The head of Taipei's cabinet-level Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission, John Chang, was in Hong Kong last month.

  The son of the late president Chiang Ching-kuo, Mr Chang held a series of meetings with pro-KMT elements in the territory.

  It is understood that several officials dealing with mainland and Hong Kong affairs have also passed through the territory recently.

  ''Senior Taiwan officials are only granted visas to Hong Kong provided they are travelling in 'private capacities' and they stay away from politics,'' a source said.

  The source said Beijing authorities had expressed concern over the apparent increase in political activities by KMT elements in Hong Kong.

  For example, plans by Taiwan's government information office to open a large cultural centre in Hong Kong have been postponed because of Beijing's concern that the facility would become a base for pro-Taiwan political activities.

  At its 14th party congress last month, the KMT reiterated its determination to help Hong Kong residents ''maintain their free lifestyle''.



Taipei fears UN bid is doomed