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---"Focused Coverage Informed Perspectives"---Wed, Oct 15, 1997 edition

Strait update: Beijing to accept Taipei as 'equal entity'? and Premier Siew advocates 'shared sovereignty' to resolve differences

Also in this edition . . . 1: Strait update: Chairman of Evergreen Group in Beijing criticizes Taipei's policies 2: Strait update: altercation between mainland fisherman and Taiwan marine police will not affect cross-strait relations, China say 3: pharmaceutical giant Hoechst begins production at Zhijiazhuang joint-venture 4: telecommunications symposium draws companies from around world 5: Sichuan dissident held for 48-hour interview 6: Summit coverage: US awaiting reassurances from China on nuclear technology 7: Summit coverage: report apparently documents organ harvesting practices 8: researchers in Taiwan devise 'card-size' PC's 9: Taiwan's ASE Group planning to capture good chunk of IC packaging market 10: Evergreen Group to expand its aerospace ventures 11: hotel and tourism association heads form emergency committee to investigate fleecing of Japanese tourists 12: Hong Kong government sets up scheme for electronic Quota License compliance 13: calligraphy 14: Asia's largest greenhouse scheduled for July opening

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CROSS STRAIT RELATIONS

Cross strait relations: Beijing hints of equal status for Taiwan at negotiation table In an attempt to woo Taipei into holding political negotiations, Beijing yesterday indirectly hinted it may accept Taipei as an equal entity at the negotiating table. This move would be considered as a major relaxation of Beijing's stance, since the mainland has traditionally insisted that Taiwan is only a regional or local government. The hint took the form of an op-ed article published in the October edition of "Cross-Strait Relations Monthly," a magazine published by Beijing's quasi-official Association For Relations Across the Taiwan Strait. Officials in Beijing and Taipei did not comment on the article yesterday. Mainland Chinese state-run media, including the People's Daily overseas edition and Xinhua News Agency, carried excepts from the article, published under the name Yu Liwen. However, two mainland Chinese Professors regarded as Taiwan affairs experts told Taiwan's Central News Agency they did not think the article indicated political concession were in the making. See also: http://www.chinatimes.com/papers/ctimes/focus/86101504.htm (Chinese BIG 5 encoding) (Note: Access to China Times articles are limited to subscribers. As the paper's system is currently configured, to access an article listed here you must first go to the front-page at http://www.chinatimes.com and from there locate the article) Cross strait relations: Premier Siew proposes 'shared sovereignty' to resolve differences ( Sources: Central News Agency and the China Post ) Premier Vincent Siew yesterday proposed a new policy of "shared sovereignty" as a way to resolve the ongoing political dispute between Taipei and Beijing. Siew said it was a fact that Taiwan and mainland China were currently under separate rule. He said that based on this fact, China's sovereignty should be shared by the two sides, rather than belong to any particular political party or individual. Siew emphasized that only if Beijing abandoned the idea that all of China is ruled by the Chinese Communist Party will the sovereignty dispute be resolved. He said Taiwan and mainland China's future reunification should be based on freedom, democracy and equal distribution of wealth. The premier made the remarks during a question-and answer session at the Legislative Yuan concerning issues on cross-strait relations. Cross strait relations: chairman of Evergreen Group in Beijing criticizes Taipei's policies ( Shipping tycoon attacks direct links ban ) Chairman Chang Yung-fa of Taiwan's Evergreen Group criticized Taipei's refusal to expand cross-strait links with the mainland. Mr Chang was speaking from Beijing where he met with President Jiang Zemin, reports the South China Morning Post. His remarks have sent 'shock waves' through Taipei, the paper writes. President Lee had warned businessmen last year to "exercise caution and avoid haste" in their investment in the mainland, the paper writes, and it is such hesitation and government policy which Mr Chang characterized as harmful to Taiwan's economy. Capital in-flows from Taiwan have been extensive in recent years, and Taipei is worried that the more Taiwan's businesses move into the China market, the wider the door is swung open for Beijing to exert its influence on the province. Mr Chang has also apparently volunteered his services as a 'secret' emissary to Beijing, the South China Morning Post reports, and this itself has caused wide spread criticism in Taiwan. Chang King-yuh, chairman of Taipei's Mainland Affairs Council, said of Chang's remarks, "Only when national security and dignity can be guaranteed, we shall implement the links in a stage-by-stage process." A number of other influential business leaders have concurred with Mr Chang's assessment of the economic impact that sustained isolation will have on the island's economy. Formosa Plastics head, Wang Yung-ching, said no policy could deter the growing links with the mainland.. ". . . Koo Chen-fu , another business tycoon who also acts as Taipei's chief negotiator with Beijing in his capacity as Straits Exchange Foundation chairman, said he disapproved of Mr Chang Yung-fa's remarks," the paper writes. Fishing: altercation between mainland fisherman and Taiwan marine police will not affect cross-strait relations, China says ( Mishap will not affect cross-Straits ties ) An incident on Saturday involving an altercation between Taiwan marine police and mainland fisherman will not affect cross strait relations, it was reported today in the China Daily. "The incident, Arats sources confirmed, occurred on Saturday afternoon, when a mainland fishing boat, owned by fishermen from Changle County of Fujian Province, passed through waters off a Taiwan-controlled island. Nine Taiwan marine policemen stopped and searched the boat, requesting the fishermen to sail the vessel to Taiwan-controlled Maszu Island. The fishermen refused the request, fearing the boat would be detained. The confrontation occurred when Taiwan policemen fired at the fishermen, injuring some of them. The fishermen attacked the officers with sticks. As the boat continued sailing towards the mainland, eight Taiwan policemen jumped into the water and returned to their vessel. One officer, injured in the clash, was brought to the mainland. The paper notes, the unidentified officer is recovering in a Changle County, Fujian hospital. He is under the 'protection' of local authorities.

CHINA

Pharmaceuticals: Hoechst begins production at Zhijiazhuang joint-venture ( Hoechst starts JV in China ) "A $27 million joint venture between Hoechst Marion Roussel (HMR) and the North China Pharmaceutical Group Corp (NCPC) started operations over the weekend, aimed at producing and selling high quality antibiotics for the Chinese domestic market," write the China Daily. Telecommunications: symposium draws companies from around world ( Eight cities to bolster telecoms connection ) A telecommunications symposium has drawn major companies from around the world, and Beijing Telecom hopes to show off its wares, reports the China Daily. We also get some information on the status of Beijing's telephones: Beijing's total public telephone switching capacity has reached 5 million lines, with the number of subscribers totalling 2.4 million. Beijing has a population of over 10 million. [There] are now 530,000 mobile phone subscribers in the Chinese capital." Chen Wei: Sichuan dissident held for 48-hour interview ( Sichuan dissident held for two days ) Chen Wei, a mainland activist, was detained by public security officers for a '48-hour interview', reports New York-based Human Rights in China. According to the organization, public security officers ransacked Mr Chen's home in Suining city, Sichuan last Wednesday and afterwards was taken into custody for interrogation. According to mainland law, a person may only be detained for up to 24 hours without formal legal charges. When the day passed, Mr Chen apparently attempted to leave the police station, when he was forcibly locked in a cell for another day. Mr Chen, 28, took part in the 1989 Tiananmen protests and spent a year in jail for his actions. In 1992 he was re-incarcerated for drawing up pamphlets calling for greater democracy. According to the South China Morning Post, "Since being released in May, the former Beijing Science and Engineering University graduate has been unable to find work and has been living on support provided by relatives and friends."

SUMMIT COVERAGE

Nuclear: US awaiting reassurances from China on nuclear technology ( US seeks assurance on nuclear arms aid ) As the summit approaches, American negotiators are waiting for reassurances that nuclear technology transferred to China will not be sent on to other nations developing nuclear programs. Such assurances would pave the way for the Clinton administration to authorize US companies to sell a broad range of nuclear technology. The Clinton administration is committed to enhancing US business prospects in the emerging China market, and this would be a dramatic shift in policy and relations for both countries if Beijing extended its guarantees. Meanwhile . . . The South China Morning Post also reports that house Democrats and Republicans have crafted legislation which 'criticises Beijing's transfer of cruise missiles to Iran and denies US visas to Chinese officials who head government-run religious groups.' House Speaker Newt Gingrich has side-lined the vote until after the summit, and this has prompted House Democratic leader Dick Gephardt to write a letter to the speaker calling for a vote on this 'critical' piece of legislation before the summit begins. See also: U.S. House Democrats Urge Debate on China Policy in Inside China. Kidneys: report apparently documents organ harvesting practices ( Prisoner kidney 'trade' probed ) ABC News is set to broadcast a report this evening on organ transplant schemes in China, by which kidneys are harvested from condemned prisoners for transplant into paying patients, Chinese and foreign alike. The South China Morning Post reports that the three-month investigative report draws on footage taken in locations in south China and Hong Kong, and is designed to coincide with the upcoming Sino-American summit. Here is the promo from http://www.abcnews.com/onair/ptl/html_files/index.html: Brian Ross reports on a three-month PrimeTime Live investigation regarding allegations that Chinese military hospitals are performing transplants for wealthy foreigners -- including Americans -- using the kidneys of executed Chinese prisoners. In addition, PrimeTime confirms that some of these transplants are arranged and paid for in the United States. With the help of Chinese dissident Harry Wu, ABC News responded to an ad in a Chinese newspaper published in New York that read, “Kidney transplant in mainland China. Don’t miss the opportunity. Call.” The report takes ABC News from New York City to Hong Kong to a restricted military hospital in southern China. PrimeTime shows graphic videotape, made in 1992 by the Chinese military and never intended to be seen outside official circles, of condemned men and women who are paraded through the streets prior to execution. Although it is not known whether the organs of these particular prisoners were used in transplants, the tape shows guards making sure the executioner’s gun on one prisoner is precisely placed at the back of the head, considered the best location if kidneys or other organs are to be retrieved. “In my opinion, a very barbaric and disgusting kind of practice,” says Dr. Ronald Guttman, a Canadian doctor and an official of the International Transplantation Society. “It makes me cringe, and I think exposing it is very important.” In a statement to PrimeTime Live, the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C., said that the organs of executed criminals are used in transplants rarely and only with the consent of the condemned prisoners or their families. Dr. Guttman responds, “The consent issue as far as I'm concerned is a bogus issue. It's a justification for what they're doing.”" ( Report 'rife with falsehoods' ) China's government has criticized the report, saying it distorts the facts.

TAIWAN BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY

High technology: researchers devise 'card-size' PC's Researchers at the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) have successfully created "card-size" 486 PCs, an innovation which aims to open up a new sphere of applications for industrial computers. After months of research and development, engineers at ITRI's Computer and Communications Research Lab have recently made a breakthrough in IC package technology by developing a 0.75 millimeter (mm) ball-grid array (BGA). Ho Tsung-cheh said that the 0.75 mm BGA helps to miniaturize the chipsets and integrate key components into a high-density, compact unit, making the PCs very small--about the size of a cigarette pack-- but highly functional and reliable. The lab expects to produce card-size 586 Pentium PCs in March next year, and the still more cutting edge 686 Pentium II models in later months. The card-size 486 PCs will debut at the 1997 Taipei International Electronics Show which opens Thursday at the Taipei World Trade Center. See also: http://www.chinatimes.com/papers/commerce/hitech/86101507.htm (Chinese BIG 5 encoding) (Note: Access to China Times articles are limited to subscribers. As the paper's system is currently configured, to access an article listed here you must first go to the front-page at http://www.chinatimes.com and from there locate the article) Semiconductors: ASE Group planning to capture good chunk of IC packaging market ( Sources: All the newspapers in Taiwan ) Taiwan's ASE Group, a major packager and tester of semiconductors, on Tuesday announced a NT$340 billion (US$ 11.9 billion) investment plan. This plan aims to capture 17 percent of global semiconductor packaging market and 16 percent of the global semiconductor testing market by the year 2010. According to the plan, the consortium will establish facilities in the new Tainan Science Based Industrial Park. The mainstay of ASE's semiconductor production is in its plant in the Nantzu Export Processing Zone outside Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan. Other facilities in Penang, Malaysia and the Philippines supplement the Taiwan plant's output. ASE is currently the world's second largest manufacturer of integrated circuit (IC) packaging equipment. ASE Chairman Jason Chang told reporters the investment plan is necessary due to the Kaohsiung facility's inability to meet expected future demand amid rising expansion in the global semiconductor sector. Chang predicted that by 2010 the Taiwan ASE plants alone will hold 13 percent of the global IC packaging market, with business growing at an astonishing rate of 25 percent per annum. By the same year, the ASE IC testing operations on Taiwan should control 12 percent of the world market, with business growing at an average of 32 percent a year. See also: http://www.chinatimes.com/papers/commerce/hitech/86101506.htm (Chinese BIG 5 encoding) (Note: Access to China Times articles are limited to subscribers. As the paper's system is currently configured, to access an article listed here you must first go to the front-page at http://www.chinatimes.com and from there locate the article) Aerospace: Evergreen Group to expand its aerospace ventures Various papers in Taiwan today report on the plans of Evergreen Group, a Taiwan conglomerate with holdings in marine and air transport, to expand into the shipbuilding and aerospace industries. Part of this plan will to acquire the state-owned China Shipbuilding Corp and to form joint ventures with foreign aerospace companies to invest next year in projects for providing airplane maintenance and manufacturing of aircraft and spare parts. Evergreen also owns EVA Airways, and under the announced plan the airline will increase the number of passenger and cargo aircraft from the current 29 to 50. See also: http://www.chinatimes.com/papers/ctimes/economy/86101517.htm (Chinese BIG 5 encoding) (Note: Access to China Times articles are limited to subscribers. As the paper's system is currently configured, to access an article listed here you must first go to the front-page at http://www.chinatimes.com and from there locate the article)

HONG KONG

Tourism: hotel and tourism association heads form emergency committee to investigate fleecing of Japanese tourists ( Tourism Chiefs Scramble to Woo Back Japanese Tourists ) Amid reports that Hong Kong hotels are bilking Japanese tourists for up to three times the going price of a room, Hong Kong Tourist Association officials have established an 'emergency' committee to look into the matter, reports Inside China. . . . Electronic commerce: Hong Kong government sets up scheme for electronic Quota License compliance ( Hong Kong moving towards electronic commerce ) The government will team up with Tradelink Electronic Commerce Limited (Tradelink) to implement an electronic licensing system for the 6,250 textile traders in the territory. As the system is implemented through 1998, textile traders will be required to submit forms pertaining to Quota Licence compliance in electronic form. "The RTEL, or Quota Licence, is a requirement for all traders exporting restrained garments and textiles to countries that impose quotas, which include Hong Kong's largest export markets in North America and the European community. Last year, some 600,000 RTEL were issued." The move is characterized by the government as one which will improve efficiency and help ensure Hong Kong's combativeness. The scheme is expected to be completely implemented by January 1, 1999.

AND NOW THIS . . .

Calligraphy: Art of Chinese Calligraphy is one of my favorite sites. Environment: Asia's largest greenhouse scheduled for July opening ( Source: The China Post ) The China Post reports in today's paper of an announcement made yesterday by officials of Taichung's National Museum of Natural Science that Asia's largest greenhouse is scheduled for a public opening in July next year. "The 31 meter-high greenhouse occupies 4.5 hectares at the intersection of Hsitun and Chienhsing Roads, just across the National Museum of Natural Science." Funding for the greenhouse is coming in large part from the Ministry of Education which approved a proposal by the museum's former director, Han Pao-teh. Designed to promote environmental awareness, the 'gigantic project' will cost over NT$700 million. The site will encompass three areas, including a parking lot, a research center and the greenhouse itself, the paper reports. Construction of all but the greenhouse has been completed. The paper quotes Chou Ming, a museum official. 'Chou said the greenhouse will include an aquarium, waterways and over 200 plants or trees. Trees of Taiwan will be planted while sculptures will be displayed outside the greenhouse, he said. He hopes that the greenhouse will set a milestone for environmental protection in the island.'

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