TNAG-1868-FCO40-2656-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-Taiwan-1989 — Page 76

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12

RD REPORT

TAIWAN: 1-31 MARCH

Summary

1.

TAIWAN NO 3

#KB 020/1

MARCH 1989

Ry24/4

Miss Mesou Mr. Wo H Mr Salman 35/4 207

Y

Enteropa.

The authorities have been busy preparing for the partial elections in December through rearranging the electoral districts and making life tougher for opposition parties. Internationally, the visit of Li Teng-hui to Singapore produced a new circumlocution for the government of Taiwan, describing him as 'President Li from Taiwan'. Taiwan's more flexible international policies (and large trade surplus of US $2.8 billion in the first quarter of the year) have brought more successes. Commercial relations with Eastern Europe have been developed, although plans to exchange trade offices with Hungary appear to have been stymied again. Taiwan condemned the introduction of Martial Law in Tibet, although it is equally opposed to Tibetan independence.

Internal Development

2.

Further electoral reforms were announced by the Central Election Commission on 1 March. The number of electoral districts was increased from 8 to 25, with the two special municipalities of Taipei and Kaohsiung each getting two districts instead of one, and the number of districts in Taiwan province rising from 6 to 21. The changes were said to have been necessitated by the increase in the number of seats to be contested (announced in February) as well as charges in administrative districts, population and transport facilities. The opposition parties predictably enough saw it as a move designed to benefit the Kuomintang (KMT). The elections will be held on 2 December, and the KMT has been debating within itself as to whether or not to institute a system of primaries to select candidates for them, and to increase popular interest in the process. It decided to hold them on 2 July, a decision it saw as an important new development.

3.

The authorities have been taking a tougher stance on law and order recently in pushing through with legal action outstadning against oppostion politicians and in the expulsion of the Catholic priest Father Magill for his activities in the Labour movement. On 6 March the Taiwan District Court formally applied to the Legislative Yuan for waiver of the immunity of Democrative Progessive Party (DPP)

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