Washington, 28 November 1998
At a press conference in Tokyo, Chinese President Jiang Zemin
again threatened that China would use force against Taiwan.
According to Japanese news reports, Jiang stated: "I would like
to stress China cannot renounce the use of force against Taiwan."
The statement shows that Mr. Clinton's pronouncements to Mr. Jiang
about a peaceful resolution of the conflict in the Taiwan Strait
have not made any impression on the Chinese leadership.
Mr. Jiang's statement is also a clear violation of the letter and
spirit of the three US-China Communiqués of 1972, 1978 and
1982, which emphasized that the conflict between China and Taiwan is
to be resolved peacefully.
In view of Mr. Jiang's statements it is all the more essential
that the Clinton Administration reiterates clearly that the use of
force or the threat of the use of force by China against Taiwan is
unacceptable, and seeks a public renunciation by the PRC of any use
of force or threat of use of force.
The Taiwan Relations Act states clearly that "...
it is the policy of the United States .... to consider any effort to
determine the future of Taiwan by other than peaceful means,
including by boycotts or embargoes, a threat to the peace and
security of the Western Pacific area and of grave concern to the
United States."