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Cross-Strait Tension: "Special State-to-State"

Taiwan's Position on Special State-to-State

President Lee's Deutsche Welle Interview (July 9, 1999)

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Taiwan Leader Defends Controversial Statehood Claim Despite US Warning (AFP, Jan. 16, 2000) Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui said Sunday his country is an independent state and designated parity and freedom as preconditions for reunification with the mainland. Lee recalled that for a long time Taipei and Beijing had went their own ways in defining the content of "one-China" after their split in 1949 at the end of a civil war. "But with the growing Chinese communist influence in the international community, 'one-China' has been mistakenly regarded as 'the People's Republic of China.'"

Beijing Urged to Respect 'Special State-to-State Relationship' (CNA, Dec. 4, 1999) Vice President Lien Chan, also the ruling Kuomintang's presidential candidate, urged mainland China on Saturday to respect the "special state-to-state relationship" between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. Noting that the division and separate rule of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait is a historical and legal fact, Lien said both sides must respect this cold reality and hold regular dialogue with goodwill and on an equal footing.

Taiwan's '2 China' Policy Restated (Washington Post, Nov. 5, 1999) Taiwan's President Lee Teng-hui has written an article in the latest issue of Foreign Affairs magazine reiterating the "state-to-state" formula that angered China in July and heightened tensions between the island and the mainland. In the article, Lee says that Taiwan and China now have a "special state-to-state relationship," a description that Beijing believes suggests independence for Taiwan, which Chinese leaders regard as part of one China.

China Denies Playing Politics Over Taiwan Quake (Reuters, Oct 17, 1999) China denied for the first time that it had slowed international efforts to help victims of a deadly earthquake in Taiwan, and said its own aid offers still stood despite Taipei's refusal to accept them, state media reported.

Taiwan Backs China Reforms (Associated Press, Oct. 9, 1999) China should push through democratic reforms using Taiwan as a model so the two can move closer to reunification, Taiwan's president said in the text of a National Day speech released Saturday, the eve of the holiday.

China's Behaviour over Quake Proves Value of Separate Statehood (AFP, Oct. 5, 1999) China's behaviour during Taiwan's earthquake proves the value of Taipei's claim to separate statehood from the mainland, President Lee Teng-hui said Tuesday. "Now you should have known why I came up with the 'special state to state relationship'. Taiwan would otherwise be left helpless."

Aid Quarrel Blights Hopes for Easing of Tensions (SCMP, Sep. 24, 1999) Taiwan expressed anger over a demand from China's Red Cross that all International Red Cross aid should first be registered with the mainland chapter.

China: Taiwan Must Make Concessions (AP, Sep. 23, 1999) China kept up pressure today on Taiwan to retract its claim to statehood, despite hopes that sympathy over the island's earthquake might ease the crisis between the two rivals.

Jiang Aid Offer Not a Sign of Policy Change on Taiwan (AFP, Sep. 22, 19999) Chinese offers of aid to quake-devastated Taiwan amount to a humanitarian gesture and do not signal an early end to long-running cross-strait tensions.

UN Agency Needs Beijing Backing for Aid to Taiwan (Reuters, Sep. 21, 1999) The United States and Japan are sending experts to help with rescue operations after the powerful earthquake in Taiwan, but the United Nations can do little because it does not recognise Taipei.

China Pays Dearly To Block Taiwan's Statehood Claim (AFP, Sep. 20, 1999) China has paid dearly for international support of its "one China principle" amid growing tensions with rival Taiwan. Beijing, although unhappy over the demands from some countries in exchange for recognition of the one China principle, "had more or less met the requirements."

Taiwan Refuses to Rescind Statehood Claim Despite China Pressure (AFP, Sep. 15, 1999) Taiwan's top mainland policy architect Wednesday defiantly dismissed China's demand that Taipei retract its statehood claim. "The 'special state-to-state' theory is aimed to safeguard national interests and dignity," Su said "It is an account of reality from the political, historical and legal points of view... and is nothing but a political declaration."

Bellicose Party Beats the Drums of War (Sydney Morning Herald, Sep. 15, 1999) While most regional governments are distracted with the crisis in East Timor, a calculated propaganda campaign aimed at convincing the Chinese public of the danger to China's territorial integrity and the enmity between the Communist and Nationalist parties is under way.

China Conducts Mock Taiwan Invasion (AP, Sep. 10, 1999) China conducted a mock invasion of Taiwan with thousands of troops along its southeastern coast this month in a warning to the island not to pursue formal independence, state media said Friday. Taiwan called the exercises routine and told its public not to worry.

Taiwan Seeks Backing for Statehood Claim at Central American Summit (AFP, Sep. 7, 1999) Taiwan sought international support for its claim to equal status with China Tuesday as Central American leaders gathered in Taipei for a summit. Attending the event were leaders from seven countries which recognize Taiwan -- El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Belize, and the Dominican Republic.

Jiang Delivers New Warning to Taiwan (AFP, Sep. 4, 1999) Chinese President Jiang Zemin delivered a new warning to Taiwan Saturday, saying the nationalist island had courted "grave danger" by calling for state-to-state relations with Beijing.

China Issues Stern Warning to Taiwan (Reuters, Sep. 1, 1999) China issued another stern warning in its dispute with Taiwan on Wednesday and implied it would invade if the estranged island officially embraced President Lee Teng-hui's provocative statehood call.

Taiwan, US, China Hold Roundtable in New York (CNA, Aug. 30, 1999) Officials and academics from Taiwan, mainland China and the United States are meeting in New York amid escalation of tension in the Taiwan Strait over the "special state-to-state relationship" controversy.

Taiwan Nationalists Careful on China (AP, Aug. 29, 1999) Taiwan's Nationalists Sunday nominated Vice President Lien Chan to succeed President Lee Teng-hui and moved delicately to back Lee's controversial new affirmation of Taiwanese sovereignty without stoking a war of words with Beijing.

Political Storm Brews Over Taiwan (The Christian Science Monitor, Aug. 24, 1999) The brinkmanship between Taiwan and China is now taking place in the air, on the airwaves, and in cyberspace. Everyone from ordinary citizens to defense analysts wonders whether the mock battles could lead to a regional arms race, and even trigger another Chinese civil war.

Taipei Denies Claim of US Pressure (South China Morning Post, Aug. 23, 1999) Taiwanese Foreign Minister Jason Hu Chih-chiang yesterday strongly denied reports the United States was to send a delegation to the island to discuss Taiwan's war of words with the mainland. He denied Washington was putting pressure on Taiwan to abandon President Lee Teng-hui's controversial "two-states" theory.

U.S. Delegation To Visit Taiwan, Discuss 'Statehood' Claim (AFP, Aug. 23, 1999) The United States is to send a top delegation to Taipei to discuss the island's war of words with mainland China, a news report said Sunday.

Taiwan Blames China for Instability (Associated Press, Aug. 21, 1999) Taiwan blamed China today for recent tensions between them, saying Beijing's threat of force - not Taipei's demand for a state-to-state relationship - is the source of the instability.

China Keeps Up War Of Words Against Taiwan (Reuters, Aug. 18, 1999) China, seeking to intimidate Taiwan in a row over the estranged island's political future, said Wednesday it would rather let a thousand soldiers die in fighting than lose an inch of territory.

Presidential Frontrunner Bush Said He Might Defend Taiwan Militarily (Agence France Presse, Aug. 15, 1999) US presidential frontrunner George W. Bush said Saturday he might use force to defend Taiwan against aggression from China if he were elected.

China and U.S. Are Reported to Trade Threats on Taiwan (New York Times, August 13, 1999) Chinese government officials have warned the Clinton administration that Beijing may be compelled to take military action against Taiwan to "punish" Taiwan for what Beijing sees as moves toward independence, administration officials and China experts said Thursday. In reply, Washington has warned the Beijing officials that action by the Chinese against Taiwan would bring retaliation by the United States, officials said.

China Mulls Use of Force Off Taiwan, Experts Say (Washington Post, August 13, 1999)

China Brags It Could Make Mincemeat Of Taiwan (Reuters, Aug. 11, 1999) China, embroiled in a war of words with Taiwan, boasted on Wednesday that if a real war broke out between the two rivals, the island could not resist for more than five days.

Taipei 'To Face Beijing Force' (South China Morning Post, Aug. 11, 1999) The Chinese leadership has decided to use an appropriate degree of force against Taiwan, possibly including the occupation of an outlying island, should Taipei authorities refuse to abandon President Lee Teng-hui's ''two states theory''.

Taiwan Shrugs Off Threat (Washington Post, August 11, 1999) President Lee Teng-hui of Taiwan today publicly played down the significance of recent sorties by Chinese jet fighters over the Taiwan Strait, in an apparent effort to combat what Taiwan views as a campaign of psychological warfare by the Chinese government.

Warnings of More Chinese Pressure (Financial Times, Aug. 10, 1999)

U.S. Congressmen Back Taiwan Leader (Associated Press, August 10, 1999) Visiting U.S. congressmen praised Taiwan's president today for his recent demand that China treat Taiwan equally as a state, squaring off against President Clinton's administration over the latest Taiwan-China crisis.

China Accused Of Spreading Security Rumours (Financial Times, Aug. 9, 1999)

Beijing Warns of a 'Calamity' for Taiwan By John Pomfret (Washington Post, August 4, 1999)

China, Taiwan Step Up Sorties Over Strait (Washington Post, August 3, 1999) Chinese and Taiwanese fighter jets have flown hundreds of sorties over the past three weeks along the center of the narrow strait of water that separates the two sides, in what analysts called the sharpest military escalation of tension in the area in three years.

China Missile Test Said No Threat (Associated Press, August 3, 1999)

China Test Launches Long-Range Missile (Reuters, Aug. 2, 1999) China test-launched a new type of long-range missile Monday in the middle of a major row with Taiwan, which Beijing sees as flirting with independence. Military analysts had been expecting China to test its Dong Feng-31 (East Wind) missile, which can carry a single 1,500 pound nuclear warhead over 5,000 miles.

U.S. Plays Down China Missile Test (Reuters, Aug. 2, 1999)

Taiwan Official Says Island Still Believes in 'One China' (Washington Post, July 31, 1999) Beijing Rebuffs Negotiator's Conciliatory Remarks, Indicating Scheduled Talks Likely to Be Canceled. In a last-ditch attempt to salvage talks with Beijing, Taiwan's top China negotiator said today that Taipei has not abandoned its "one China" policy and still seeks eventual reunification with China.

Taiwanese Boat Confiscated By Armed Chinese Police (Agence France Presse, July 31, 1999) A Taiwanese supply boat suspected of smuggling was seized by Chinese marine police and taken to the mainland, the boat owner said Saturday.

China Rejects Taiwan Clarification On Ties (Reuters, July 30, 1999)

Taiwan Urges U.S. To Be Neutral In China Dispute (Reuters, July 29, 1999)

Despite Maneuvers, China Seems Cautious on Taiwan (New York Times, July 29, 1999) A Chinese news service reported Wednesday that the navy was conducting mobilization exercises along the southern coast, across from Taiwan. But it appears to be a relatively moderate operation that hints at little real military preparation.

Taiwan President Says He's No Troublemaker (Agence France Presse, July 28, 1999) Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui Wednesday rebuffed China's accusation that he was a troublemaker responsible for the mounting tensions across the strait, saying he wants a democratic and integrated China.

China Said Holding Navy Exercises In Taiwan Strait (Reuters, July 28, 1999)

China Wins War Of Words (BBC, July 26, 1999) China has won a diplomatic victory over Taiwan with regional leaders reaffirming their recognition of the People's Republic as the sole government of China. In a communique at the end of their annual meeting in Singapore, foreign ministers from the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) reiterated their "One-China" stance.

China Won't Rule Out Taiwan Force (Associated Press, July 25, 1999)

Taiwan Renews Pledges For Talks With China (Reuters, July 25, 1999)

US Envoy Holds Fresh Talks in Taiwan to Help Resolve Taipei-Beijing Row (AFP, July 24, 1999)

Taiwan Reassures U.S. On China Frictions (Reuters, July 23, 1999) Taiwan reassured a U.S. emissary Friday it had no plans to pursue independence and never meant to cause a row with China by asserting itself as a "state." "(Our) mainland policy of promoting constructive dialogue and genuine exchange has not changed,'' President Lee Teng-hui told Richard Bush, head of the organization that handles Washington's unofficial ties with Taipei.

ASEAN Eyes Taiwan Strait, To Reaffirm 'One China' (Reuters, July 23, 1999)

Lee Calls on Beijing to Accept New Statehood Claim (AP, July 22, 1999)

U.S. Seeks to Mend Taiwan-China Rift - Diplomats Moving Swiftly to Defuse Latest Dispute Between Asian Rivals (Washington Post, July 21, 1999) The United States plans to send senior diplomats to Beijing and Taipei this week in an attempt to persuade China and Taiwan to cool the war of words that erupted between them 11 days ago.

Taiwan Sees "One China" As Democratic Ideal (Reuters, July 20, 1999)

Clinton Urges Taiwan-China Calm (Associated Pres, July 20, 1999) Amid escalating rhetoric between China and Taiwan, President Clinton said Tuesday he ``would take very seriously'' any attempt by Beijing to resolve its differences with Taiwan by force. Clinton said he spoke by telephone Sunday with Chinese President Jiang Zemin and reaffirmed U.S. support for the ``one China'' policy that has been a backbone for decades of U.S. policy toward China and Taiwan,

U.S. Sees No China Military Mobilization (Reuters, July 19, 1999)

Beijing Warns Taiwan Again (Washington Post, July 19, 1999)

Amid Row, China Threatens To Invade Taiwan (Reuters, July 18, 1999)

Taiwan May Eye Exit From China Feud (AP, July 17, 1999)

China Conducts Psychological Warfare Against Taiwan (AFP, July 17, 1999)

China Might Cancel Taiwan Envoy (AP, July 16, 1999)

Rise in China-Taiwan Tensions Leads to Taipei Market Jitters (New York Times, July 16, 1999)

"One Nation, Two States" - Taiwan Clarifies Chinese Relations (AP, July 15, 1999) Taiwan issued what it now considers the official wording of its relations with mainland China: It is ``one nation, two states.'' The new definition formalized Thursday followed an uproar caused by President Lee Teng-hui's remarks indicating that China should deal with Taiwan on a ``state-to-state'' basis.

Beijing Sees U.S. Hand in Taiwan Shift on 'One China' (Reuters, July 15, 1999)

Bipartisan Call to Strengthen Independence (Financial Times, July 15, 1999)

Taiwan Leader Denies China Policy Change (Associated Press, July 15, 1999)

Taiwan Moves to Sell 'Two States' Policy Worldwide (Straits Times, July 15, 1999)

China Reinforces Threat to Invade Taiwan Amid Row (Reuters, July 14, 1999)

Theories Swirl Around Taiwan's "One China" Rethink (Reuters, July 13, 1999)

Taiwan President Implies His Island Is Sovereign State (New York Times, July 13, 1999)

Japan Affirms "One China" Stance After Taiwan Shift (Reuters, July 13, 1999)

U.S. Backs 'One China' Policy Despite Taiwan Shift (Reuters, July 12, 1999)

China Blasts Taiwan Lee's "State-to-State" Remark (Reuters, July 11, 1999)

Taiwan Redefines China Relations (AP, July 10, 1999) In his latest step to highlight Taiwan's separate status, President Lee Teng-hui defined the island's relations with mainland China as ``special nation-to-nation relations.''

Will 'State-to-State' Reverberate After Election? (United Daily News, Dec. 31, 1999) In reality, the constitutional and strategic viewpoints that have emerged because of the "state-to-state" policy are gravely connected to the security of the nation, and should figure as core issues in the upcoming presidential elections. Therefore, if a significant number of voters during this election were to make their choice of candidate based on their perspective of the "state-to-state" issue, it would serve as a popular appraisal of the "state-to-state" policy.

Lee Wants Clinton to Back Taiwan Over China By Richard Halloran (Washington Times, Nov. 12, 1999) President Lee Teng-hui, writing in a scholarly U.S. journal, has renewed the campaign he began last summer to discourage President Clinton from cozying up to China at the expense of Taiwan's interests. The concern is that President Clinton might weaken Taiwan's case for independence in his desire for an accommodation with China. President Lee clearly is pressing Washington to take Taiwan's side in its intensifying strife with China.

Understanding Taiwan: Bridging the Perception Gap By Lee Teng-hui (Foreign Affairs, November/December 1999) The sustained economic growth, unprecedented prosperity, and full democracy achieved by the Republic of China has one drawback: the speed of Taiwan's progress has outstripped prevailing perceptions of what Taiwan is and how it should fit into the global order. To illustrate this, one need look no further than the attainment of full democracy on Taiwan, and the subsequent emergence of a new sense of national identity impelled by the force of the ballot box.

Taiwan's Legal Status: Going Beyond the Unification-Independence Dichotomy By Philip Yang (CSIS, Sep. 21, 1999) Taiwan ambiguous status is a product of half a century of changing international and cross-strait circumstances. Geopolitical reasons and the PRC's claim to sovereignty over Taiwan are also major factors affecting the status of Taiwan and bilateral relations across the Taiwan Strait. This research attempts to seek explanations for the case of Taiwan, going beyond the unification-independence dichotomy, by examining its legal status -- through traditional international law and a new approach to democratic sovereignty -- and by discussing relations between China and Taiwan.

Rules Have Changed on 'One China' By Wu Hsin-Hsing (Taipei Times, Oct. 27, 1999) Although the political dispute between China and Taiwan is common knowledge, each side should enjoy the right to voice their own views. I believe that Lee made the statement because China had breached a consensus reached with Taiwan that "both sides may voice their respective versions of the one China policy" by repeatedly restricting and suppressing Taiwan's international space.

TAIWAN: Earthquake Fails to Thaw China Ties By Mure Dickie and James Harding (Financial Times, Sep. 24, 1999) Beijing stays its propaganda war, but tries to keep strings on Taiwan in its hour of need.

China Starts Marching to a Different Beat By Rowan Callick (Australian Financial Review, Sep. 18, 1999) After 10 weeks of blood-curdling threats, it is becoming clear that China will not take military action against Taiwan - certainly not any time soon.

Hush, Hush Taiwan? (Editorial, Christian Science Monitor, Sep. 9, 1999) Much gnashing of teeth and cluck-clucking has been heard in the two months since Taiwan's leader, Lee Teng-hui, said his country would deal with China on a "state to state" basis.

Risks in a Chinese Invasion of Taiwan By Jonathan S. Landay (The Christian Science Monitor, Sep. 9, 1999) In talks with China's president next week, Clinton will try to defuse tensions in Pacific. The upsurge in tensions between China and Taiwan appears to have put China's political and military hierarchy in a strategic bind.

The Future Is Made In ... By Thomas L. Friedman (New York Times, Sep. 5, 1999) It is a little known fact that PC's and laptops are made in a global supply chain, and Taiwan, and Taiwanese-owned firms in China and Asia, are the key link in that chain. And If you think China would pay a huge price for war with Taiwan, you can't imagine the price that Taiwan, and the rest of the world, would pay.

Whose Web Site Is This? By Thomas L. Friedman (New York Times, Aug. 27, 1999) You just knew something like this would happen. China, unable so far to occupy Taiwan on land, has done it in cyberspace. The Internet address Taiwan.com was recently claimed and registered by China.com, an Internet portal that is partially owned by China's state-run Xinhua news agency.

War Prospects in Asia Are Both Remote and Scary By Gerald Segal (International Herald Tribune, Aug. 25, 1999) North Korean missiles, China-Taiwan saber-rattling, India-Pakistan tension - at first glance it can appear that Asian security is under imminent threat of major conflict. What we are seeing is a new style of Asian conflict in which diplomatic tensions can run high but the threshold of real war is also high.

China Waging War of Words on Taiwan By Henry Chu, Jim Mann (LA Times, Aug. 23, 1999) Analysts say threat of force to reunite island with mainland is scare tactic. ...for all Beijing's ferocious saber-rattling--its noisiest in three years--and Taiwan's bravado in response, analysts are skeptical of the Chinese government's declared readiness to retake the island by force.

Taiwan’s High-Stakes Game (The Economist, Aug. 21, 1999) China could yet turn verbal attacks on Taiwan into a military assault. .. will China really be able to keep its finger off the trigger? It is important to separate, if possible, the Communists’ rhetoric from their intentions.

Taiwan-China: One Nation-Two States By Yuan I (Globalbeat, Syndicate, August 19, 1999) President Lee Teng-hui's announcement of a new "one-nation, two-state" formula may offer a new way to view the cross-strait relationship. If such novel thinking is not prematurely dismissed as an insignificant or transient departure from previous patterns of Cold-War era conflict, it could produce distinctly new forms of dialogue and exchange that could guide future relations between Taipei and Beijing.

China's Jiang Walks Tightrope Over Taiwan By Benjamin Kang Lim (Reuters, Aug 17, 1999) Chinese President Jiang Zemin faces the biggest challenge of his 10 years in power in a confrontation with Taiwan that could end up leaving him weakened and vulnerable.

Air Activity Over the Taiwan Strait By Kenneth W. Allen (The Henry L. Stimson Center, Aug. 16, 1999) Is the PLAAF building up its force to attack Taiwan? Is there a real possibility of an accidental shootdown by either side occurring over the Strait? Can Taiwan's Air Force (TAF) defend itself against an air attack?

Calm Down to Prepare for the China-Taiwan Debate Ahead By Douglas H. Paal (International Herald Tribune, August 16, 1999) As tensions build between Taiwan and China, the tensions long present within U.S. policy toward both are rising to the surface. They are forcing uncomfortable choices for the United States between a strategic interest in avoiding a long-term confrontation with China and supporting American values, as exemplified by Taiwan's democracy.

Dangerous Confusion in Washington By Richard Halloran (International Herald Tribune, August 16, 1999) The friction between Taiwan and mainland China has produced a cacophony of exhortations in the United States over what American policy should be in this dangerous confrontation.

China's Worries Go Beyond Taiwan To Fear Of U.S. (Associated Press, Aug. 14, 1999) The drama being played out over the Taiwan Strait isn't just about Taiwan and China. While threatening Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui with "doom," Beijing is voicing ever louder suspicions of U.S. ambitions to contain China, in collusion with Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.

U.S. Warns China Again on Taiwan By Jim Mann, Norman Kempster (LA Times, August 14, 1999) The Clinton administration on Friday repeated its warning of grave consequences if China takes military action against Taiwan following high-level hints from Beijing that it may use force to resolve a half-century-old dispute.

A Worsening Crisis Over Taiwan Editorial (New York Times, Aug. 14, 1999) With tensions mounting dangerously across the Taiwan Strait, both sides need to step back and consider the risks they are courting -- Taipei by its reckless declarations and Beijing by its unacceptable military threats.

In Eye of China-Taiwan Storm, an Island Is Calm By Seth Faison (New York Times, Aug. 14, 1999) If military conflict breaks out between China and Taiwan any time soon, military experts say, it is as likely to begin on this little island as anywhere. A mere three miles off the coast of southeast China, Matsu still belongs to Taiwan, which is more than 100 miles away.

Beijing Considers How To React By Bruce Dickson (Taipei Times, August 3, 1999) If Jiang and Zhu want to rebuild the consensus favoring the policy of engagement with the US, and conclude negotiations to enter WTO in particular, they may have to accept a harder line toward Taiwan.

New Goal in Taiwan: To Be Left Alone By Seth Faison (New York Times, August 9, 1999) International opinion blames Taiwan's President Lee Teng-hui for disturbing the status quo between Taiwan and China, but many Taiwanese say that the constant threat of military and diplomatic pressure from Beijing is what really causes the root tension.

A Tightrope Act Over Taiwan By Jane Perlez (New York Times, August 5, 1999) As is often the case in disputes between China and Taiwan, the United States finds itself in the middle. As the two sides pour verbal scorn on each other and as military tensions remain high, the Clinton administration is trying to steer a delicate course, signaling to Beijing its commitment to the "one China" policy that Taiwan is rejecting while reassuring Taiwan that arms sales will continue.

U.S. on China-Taiwan Tightrope By Tom Raum (Associated Press, August 4, 1999) The administration must walk a difficult tightrope between its desire to improve relations with China and the U.S. legal obligation to defend Taiwan, which has strong congressional support.

Caught Between Two Chinas By Chas. W. Freeman Jr. (New York Times, August 2, 1999) China's leaders need to think carefully about how to handle this challenge. Americans need to do the same. After all, committed separatists in Taiwan seem intent on leading both their island and the United States toward a bloody rendezvous with Chinese nationalism.

A Tense Wait For Answers By Todd Crowell (Asiaweek, July 30, 1999) As Taiwan and China continue their confrontation, the U.S. tries mediation. Though Lee's initiative was playing poorly abroad, it may turn out a shrewd move in Taiwan.

Admit It, Taiwan Is A Nation By Daniel C. Lynch (LA Times, July 29, 1999) It's ludicrous to continue to view the world's 13th-largest trading power as a nonentity.

It's More Like A Change In Posture By Stephen J. Yates (LA Times, July 13, 1999) Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui raised a lot of eyebrows--and Beijing's ire--when he declared that Taiwan's relations with China should be viewed as "country-to-country, or at least as special state-to-state relations."

Taiwan Locked In China's Erratic Orbit By John Pomfret (Washington Post, August 1, 1999) One-hundred miles off the coast of Fujian province, and five minutes away for a missile, Taiwan is damned by its geography to deal gingerly with the People's Republic of China.

Why Angry China Welcomes Taiwan Investors (The Straits Times, July 31, 1999) The Taiwanese business contingent in China -- ranging from big boys such as Formosa Plastics, Acer and the President food group to the thousands of small and medium-sized companies -- would be a powerful lobby group, leaning on both governments to ensure there was cross-strait harmony, not tension.

Taipei Sows Distrust, Not Real Solutions By Brent Scowcroft (LA Times, July 30, 1999) U.S. should be firm toward mainland aggression, but Taiwan must realize effects of its act. ...while we retain great affection and respect for Taiwan and its people, they cannot expect our support in dealing with the possible consequences of a unilateral abrogation of the "one China" policy which has been the basis of U.S. policy and of stability in the Taiwan Strait region for 27 years.

Full Text of Statement of SEF Chairman Koo Chen-Fu (Central News Agency, July 30, 1999) President Lee's remarks of a "special relationship" at this juncture are primarily to lay a foundation of parity between the two sides for elevating the level of dialogue and to facilitate the mechanisms of democracy and peace.

On Second Thought... and Interview: Vice President Lien Chan By Terry McCarthy (TIME, Aug. 2, 1999) Pushed by a testy U.S., Taipei hurries to clarify its leader's startling stance on the island's political status. Many analysts believe Lee Teng-hui's statements on cross-Strait relations were aimed at boosting the chances of his heir apparent, Vice President Lien Chan, in next year's presidential election. TIME's Terry McCarthy and Don Shapiro spoke with Lien last week in Taipei.

When Taipei Speaks Up, the American Debate Gets Dangerous By Douglas H. Paal (International Herald Tribune, July 28, 1999) Taiwan's supporters and detractors alike are scratching their heads trying to understand the timing and purpose of President Lee Teng-hui's adjustment of a key policy toward the mainland.

The Taiwan Question By Jacques deLisle (Foreign Policy Research Institute, July 26, 1999) The heavily couched and caveat-laden statements from Lee and his minions represented only one step in a decade-long march away from the logically consistent but politically bizarre framework in which everyone agreed that there was one China with one legitimate government. For any realistic observer, of course, Lee and other ROC officials uttered an obvious, if politically touchy, truth: The PRC and Taiwan are, in practice, two separate countries.

Chinese Threat Tests Taiwan's Preparedness - Defense Capacity, Public Morale Faulted By John Pomfret (Washington Post, July 27, 1999) With tensions high between Taiwan and China, the readiness of Taiwan's military and of its people to support the military have become key factors in the balance of power across the Taiwan Strait. This issue is also important to the United States, which, if Taiwan's military were to collapse, could be forced to defend the island from Chinese attack.

Chen Shui-bian: Taiwan's Fate Is Not China's To Decide By Alice Hung (Reuters, 27, 1999) The main opposition party's candidate in Taiwan's coming presidential polls said the island should be left alone to decide its political future and appealed to the world to respect whichever path it chooses.

Escaping the Past (Newsweek International, August 2, 1999) Everything Taiwanese is cool. Lee Teng-hui is leading the race away from mainland China. The $40 million invested in businesses in China will continue to bind Taiwan to the mainland economically. But President Lee is trying to end the "civil-war mentality" so Taiwan can move on socially and politically.

Taiwan's Lament: War Clouds Over Asia? By Robert Manning (Intellectual Capital, July 22, 1999) Once again, the world has discovered that the Taiwan Strait is a highly combustible place where the problems of an era past (Chinese civil war frozen by Cold War) intersect with the problems of the future (coping with the rise of China and with a democratic Taiwan).

President Lee is No Troublemaker Lo Chih-cheng and Bo Tedards (Pacific Forum, CSIS, PacNet 29, July 23, 1999) First, Lee's remarks have not, in themselves, altered the substance of the status quo between the two sides of the strait -- no declaration of independence by Taiwan and no use of force by China. All he has done is to alter the terminology that the government here will use to describe it; thus, what Lee is offering is a redefinition, not a revision, of the status quo.

Trouble Over Taiwan Editorial (NYT, July 23, 1999) Mr. Lee should drop his talk of separate states, and Beijing should abandon the idea of reunification by military force.

The Truth About Taiwan (Economist, July 24, 1999) If China wants reunion with Taiwan, it should look more worth reuniting with. The threat of force has become almost a kneejerk reaction for China’s leaders whenever Taiwan displeases them. They need to realise that this hinders rather than helps China’s goal of reunification.

Hush the Rhetoric and Learn Flexibility Ralph A. Cossa (International Herald Tribune, July 23, 1999) China needs to understand that the people in Taiwan have earned, and demand, more recognition for their accomplishments. They want their aspirations and pride taken into account. Beijing should not rule out the possibility of Mr. Wang visiting Taipei in the fall.

China's Nervous Rulers Editorial (Washington Post, July 21, 1999) The Clinton administration, eager as always to placate Beijing, demanded explanations from Taipei, and China hands denounced Taiwan's recklessness. Yet the likeliest source of long-term instability is China's unwillingness to follow Taiwan on the path of democratization.

Taiwan's New Doctrine Unintelligible in Chinese Seth Faison (New York Times, July 21, 1999) Even with all the justifications, interpretations and clarifications that Taiwan's leaders have offered in recent days to try to explain their new relationship to the Chinese mainland, one thing stands out: They can't say it in Chinese.

The Taiwan Tinderbox - Fiddling With The One China Principle Is Reckless David Shambaugh (Time, July 26, 1999) China's official People's Daily is often prone to hyperbole, but it was not overstating the severity of the situation when it asserted last week that Lee Teng-hui was playing with fire. With a few provocative words, Taiwan's President reminded Asia and the world of the volatility in cross-Strait relations. The political and economic consequences of his remarks are serious enough, but the real danger lies in the potential for war

Playing With Fire Anthony Spaeth (Time, July 26, 1999) With a few choice words on Taiwan's political status, Lee Teng-hui earns Beijing's wrath but, as elections approach, pleases his home audience

China 'Has The Power' (Financial Times, July 19, 1999)

China on Taiwan: What Comes Next? Beijing Power Struggle Clouds the Issue John Pomfret (Washington Post, July 18, 1999)

Cross-Straits Relations: Now What? Ralph A. Cossa (Pacific Forum, PacNet #28, July 16, 1999) Lee's comments seemed more spontaneous than premeditated, but clearly reflect Taiwan's growing frustration with Beijing's attempts to force Taiwan to accept a politically inferior position going into cross-straits talks; something Lee sees as politically untenable and personally insulting.

Upping The Ante (Far Eastern Economic Review, July 22, 1999) President Lee asserts his island's statehood, inviting Beijing's wrath. Domestic politics and resistance to U.S. pressure may be why he did it.

Policy Shift Puts Beijing in a Quandary (Financial Times, July 16, 1999)

Limits Seen to China's Rage at Taiwan (Reuters, July 16, 1999)

China, Taiwan Battle With Artful Threats - Beijing Bomb Claim Vs. 'One China' Shift (Washington Post, July 16, 1999)

The Volatile Issue of Taiwan Editorial (New York Times, July 15. 1999) Beijing should not make the same mistake of resorting to military threats. That bullying turned Taiwanese opinion sharply against the mainland and reunification. Mr. Lee, for his part, should abandon talk of separate states and instead reaffirm Taiwan's desire for eventual peaceful reunification on terms consistent with its current freedoms. The United States, meanwhile, should try to stay out of the public crossfire while counseling restraint to both sides.

Taiwan Takes Big Risk in Rejecting One-China Policy (Reuters, July 12, 1999)