(14 Jul 1999) English/Nat
The United States has reaffirmed its view that there can be only one China.
The appeal follows angry reactions from Beijing, to Taiwanese President, Lee Teng-hui's, remarks that talks with China would only continue if they are conducted on a state-to-state level.
Lee Teng-hui, the first democratically elected president of Taiwan, said in comments published on Saturday that relations with China should be considered on a "state-to-state or at least special state-to-state" basis.
In response Beijing has intensified its attacks on Lee, saying the Taiwanese President was pursuing independence for the island.
In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Zhang Qiyue, said Lee was taking "extremely dangerous steps."
She repeated that Beijing was ready to use force to block formal independence for the island, which it regards as a renegade province.
Meanwhile Washington was stepping gingerly on a potentially explosive situation.
Calling for calm, the US state department on Tuesday urged both sides to enter face to face talks as the best way to clarify misunderstandings.
The state department spokesman, James Rubin, appeared to provide Taipei with a way out by suggesting that the publication may have taken Taiwan's Lee Teng-hui out of context in reporting his comments.
A team of US diplomats will meet representatives of the Taiwanese government in Taipei on Wednesday to find out what the new policy is on "one China".
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"We believe that it is a matter for Chinese people on both sides of the Taiwan strait to resolve. And as you know and as we've said for sometime, we have an abiding interest and concern that any resolution be peaceful. We have for some time encouraged both sides to engage in meaningful substantive dialogue. We believe that face to face meetings are the best way to clarify misunderstandings between Taipei and Beijing and we do not think that it is beneficial for either side to take steps which make holding this type of meeting or discussion more difficult to achieve".
SUPER CAPTION: James Rubin, US State Department Spokesman
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"The bottom line is very simple, it's that we want neither side to take steps or make statements that makes it harder to have the kind of dialogue which we think is the only realistic way to resolve problems".
SUPER CAPTION: James Rubin, US State Department Spokesman
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"What I'd like to do is to have our representatives have an opportunity to talk to the Taiwanese authorities, because remember what we are reacting to and what all of you are reacting to, is media reports about what he said, without the full transcripts, without the full context and perhaps with translation issues, so it seems to us before drawing fundamental conclusions, the appropriate cause of action for diplomats is to go to the source to ask them some questions, to find out whether there is a new clarification that can be made, or that will be made or won't be made, to explain the words that have that appeared in the newspapers".
SUPER CAPTION: James Rubin, US State Department Spokesman
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
