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Wu's
visit to China, accompanied by his former student Lee Cheng-tao who has met senior Chinese leaders on a number of occasions. visit was the highest level academic visit so far, and was said to be purely to attend a conference and to have no political overtones. Nonetheless, these two visits together break new ground in senior contacts between the two sides.
5.
more theoretical level, Presidential Adviser, Cheyne Chiu publicized a proposal of his for a non-aggression pact between Taiwan and the mainland modelled on the 1972 agreement between the two Germanies. This would also open the way to collaboration on big projects such as the Three Gorges Project, the Development of Pudong Economic Zone in Shanghai, and the Tumen River Project on the borders of China and Korea. The proposal was greeted with some favour in Taiwan, both by members of the ruling Party and by the Opposition. The Chinese reaction was initially unenthusiastic and they made clear their reluctance to renounce the use of force. Later, on 30 May, President Yang Shangkun rejected the proposal outright saying: "we will by no means accept the proposal to sign an across the strait non-aggression treaty, for signing the treaty will mean that we virtually recognise two governments. Talks between two governments are absolutely out of the question." Chiu, who is a senior adviser to the President, suggested that the question might be further discussed next year when the two sides were less preoccupied by their own domestic politics. Later in the month, he said that Taiwan was prepared to countenance opening direct communications links with the mainland (the "three communications"), if the mainland recognized Taiwan as a political entity, renounced the use of force, and gave up its attempts to block Taiwan's participation in international activities.
6. The draft of Taiwan's forthcoming law on its territorial sea was agreed by the Executive Yuan on 21 May, although it now needs to be debated in the Legislative Yuan before it can enter into law.
It provides for a 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone and 12 mile territorial waters. It also renews Taiwan's claim to the disputed islands in the South China Sea. On 25 May, the Interior Minister, Wu Po-Hsiung, who was visiting Pratas Island (about 168 nautical miles south of Guangdong province which has had a Taiwan garrison since 1956) said that the Taiwan government would consider cooperating with foreign countries in exploring the resources in the South China Seas on the premise that such cooperation would not effect the Republic of China's sovereignty over the area. Commenting on the public dispute between China and Vietnam over the Spratly Islands (which Taiwan also claims) he said that the best way to settle such disputes would be to hold international talks. In the meantime, in addition to strengthening navy patrols, the government would establish a coastguard to ensure the safety of Taiwan fishermen operating in the disputed areas.
International Relations
7.
The procession of Ministerial visits from countries which have no formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan continued.
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