World Tibet Network News Sunday, June 28, 1998

Beijing, June 27 (China News Agency) US President Bill Clinton did not mention the so-called "three noes" policy toward Taiwan during a joint press conference at the end of his two-hour summit with mainland Chinese President Jiang Zemin on Saturday. In an ensuing report on the summit achievements, the US authorities also did not mention either Taiwan, or the cross-Taiwan Strait issue. The "three noes," which Beijing was keen to discuss at the summit, are: no US support for the "one China, one Taiwan" policy; no US support for Taiwan independence; and no US support for Taiwan's membership in international organizations.

Throughout the Clinton-Jiang press conference, little was mentioned about Taiwan, except for Jiang's remark that "the issue of Taiwan is an important and sensitive one and the US must stick to its policy of recognizing only one legitimate Chinese government `in the interest of smooth growth' in US-China relations." Jiang mentioned Taiwan a second time when he was talking about Tibet. He said there are two preconditions for Beijing to resume talks with the Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual leader. Firstly, he said, the Dalai Lama must recognize that Tibet is a part of China, and secondly, the Dalai Lama must also recognize that Taiwan is a province of China. Clinton, for his part, reaffirmed the US' "one China" policy, which opposes independence for Taiwan, and he encouraged more direct dialogue between Taipei and Beijing. The pursuit of the "cross-strait discussions that recently resumed is the best path to a peaceful resolution" of differences between the two sides, he said.

Clinton made no further references to Taiwan, not even toward the end of the press conference when he was responding to Jiang's remarks about Tibet. Clinton said only that the US recognizes Tibet as a part of China, without mentioning Taiwan. Clinton's paucity of words about Taiwan seemed in line with the administration's original intentions regarding the summit agenda, as well as a recent call by several US congressmen not to codify the "three noes" during his mainland China trip.

(By Wang Hsin-chung & Deborah Kuo)