Published by World Tibet Network News - Tuesday, March 25, 1997

BEIJING, March 25 (Reuter) - A top Chinese official for contacts with Taiwan ruled out an early resumption of talks on reunification because the island's leaders were pursuing "splittist" policies, the China Daily said on Tuesday.

It also quoted Tang Shubei, vice-chairman of the Association for Relations across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS), as saying that Taiwanese authorities did not want the handover of Hong Kong to go smoothly and might try to disrupt the transfer of power.

"In the long term the mainland and Taiwan should sit down at the negotiating table to discuss cross-straits issues under the 'one-China' policy," Tang was quoted as saying.

But he said the atmosphere for talks would not improve in the short term unless Taiwan's leaders, including its "so-called" President Lee Teng-hui, halted their "splittist" activities aimed at independence for the island.

China and Taiwan have been rivals since the Nationalist government fled to the island after its defeat by the communists in the Chinese civil war in 1949.

Beijing regards Taiwan as a renegade province and tries to isolate it diplomatically.

Talks between the two sides were broken off after President Lee made a landmark private visit to the United States in mid-1995, enraging Beijing.

"We have the patience to handle the issue of the peaceful reunification of the motherland," Tang said.

The newspaper also said Taiwan authorities would likely take measures to reduce the impact on the island from the success of China's policies towards Hong Kong, which reverts to Beijing sovereignty on July 1 after 150 years of British rule.

"According to Tang, there is information that Taiwan forces in Hong Kong are planning to cause trouble, such as demonstrations around July 1, when China resumes its exercise of sovereignty over the territory," the newspaper said.

Tang also repeated Beijing's long-held stance that the United States should halt arms sales to Taiwan.

The Chinese official's remarks were published by the English language newspaper as the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, was visiting Taiwan.

Beijing insists the 1989 winner of the Nobel Peace prize is waging a campaign for independence for Tibet.

Tang made no mention of Beijing's announcement last week that it would return a Taiwanese man suspected of hijacking a Taiwan passenger jet to mainland China.

Beijing wants Taiwan to return Chinese hijackers now in Taiwanese jails but so far it has been disappointed.