Apparently responding to remarks by US President Bill Clinton, China Thursday reiterated its stance that Taiwan should join WTO only as a separate customs territory of China.
Clinton pledged the United States will not accept Beijing's bid to solidify its claim to Taiwan in documents covering China's entry into the WTO.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi said at a press conference that the Chinese government has not changed this stance.
"We oppose Taiwan authorities' attempts to create `two Chinas' or `one China, one Taiwan' in multilateral and bilateral areas by taking advantage of the WTO," Sun said.
Sun stressed that all parties should adhere to the 1992 presidential statement of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, the WTO's precursor. He also urged the United States to continue observing the three Sino-US joint communiques and "three-no" commitments reaffirming Taiwan is part of China and should support Taiwan's membership in any organization for which statehood is a requirement.
China maintains that after the mainland and Taiwan join the WTO, the two sides should further strengthen exchanges. Taiwan particularly should implement direct trade, transportation and postal links with the mainland. Taiwan's Nationalist government has banned these connections since 1949.
China holds that the mainland should join the WTO before Taiwan joins and that all talks between the two sides should be based on the principle of one China.
(China Daily)
