This afternoon Mr. Yang Jiechi, Vice
Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, summoned Mr. Prueher,
U.S. Ambassador to China, and lodged a stern representation
with the U.S. Government over the passage by the U.S. House
of Representatives of the Taiwan Security Enhancement
Act.
Mr. Yang stated that the U.S. House
of Representatives, in disregard of the repeated stern
representations of the Chinese side, passed on 1 February
the so-called Taiwan Security Enhancement Act in an attempt
to provide the so-called legal ground for the U.S. to
conduct and expand military ties and exchanges with Taiwan
and sell to the latter various kinds of sophisticated
weaponry, equipment and technologies. In adopting the Act,
the U.S. House of Representatives, aiming at creating
"one China, one Taiwan" or "two Chinas",
has undoubtedly violated the three Sino-U.S. joint
communiqués and the relevant commitments made by the
U.S. side, seriously infringed upon China's sovereignty and
grossly interfered in China's internal affairs. The Chinese
Government and people would like to express their strong
indignation over and firm opposition to
this.
Mr. Yang pointed out that the
question of Taiwan bears on China's sovereignty and
territorial integrity, directly touches upon the national
pride of the entire Chinese people and has always been the
most important and the most sensitive issue that lies at the
core of China-U.S. relations. In the Sino-U.S. Joint
Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic
Relations, the U.S. Government makes it very clear that it
recognizes that the Government of the People's Republic of
China is the sole legal government of China, there is but
one China in the world and that Taiwan is part of China. Any
attempt or action to disrupt China's great cause of
reunification is absolutely unacceptable to the Chinese
Government and people and is also doomed to failure. The
Chinese Government and people have the determination, the
confidence and the capability to resolve the Taiwan question
at an early date and realize the complete reunification of
the motherland.
Mr. Yang said that the
Taiwan Security Enhancement Act, following the Taiwan
Relations Act, is yet another bill concocted by a small
number of pro-Taiwan and anti-China U.S. Congressmen on the
question of Taiwan to deliberately hamper China's great
cause of reunification. After the Taiwan Security
Enhancement Act was introduced, the Chinese Government
lodged stern representations with the U.S. Government,
demanding the U.S. side take concrete steps to stop it from
becoming law. The U.S. Government has pledged to do that.
People with vision in the U.S. Senate and House have also
voiced their unequivocal opposition to this bill. However,
with the all-out clamoring and support of the pro-Taiwan and
anti-China forces in the House, the House has gone so far as
to pass this bill aimed at splitting China. Should this bill
be passed and become law, it will surely abet Lee Teng-hui
in pursuing the "two-state theory" and
"Taiwan independence", further aggravate the
tension across the Taiwan Straits, undermine peace and
stability in the Asia-Pacific region and seriously impair
and disrupt China-U.S. relations.
Mr.
Yang stressed that the Chinese side strongly demands the
U.S. Government give full attention to the solemn position
and demand of the Chinese Government, fully recognize the
serious damage the Taiwan Security Enhancement Act could
inflict, strictly abide by the three Sino-U.S. joint
communiqués and the relevant commitments it has
undertaken, and take immediate action to prevent the bill
from becoming law, as the U.S. Government and President
Clinton personally have pledged to do. Moreover, the U.S.
side should halt immediately its sales of sophisticated
weapons, equipment and technologies to Taiwan in strict
accordance with the China-U.S. Joint Communiqué of
August 17, 1982 on U.S. arms sales to
Taiwan.
Mr. Prueher said that he would
report immediately the above position of the Chinese side to
the U.S. Government. He stated that the U.S. Government is
strongly against the Taiwan Security Enhancement Act passed
by the House on 1 February.