BEIJING, in a major concession to Taipei, has for the first time formally stated that both the mainland and the island are part of ``one China''.In the first news conference specially arranged for Chinese media and dedicated solely to Taiwan issues, Beijing's top spokesman on Taiwan affairs also warned that President Chen Shui-bian was showing a ``very dangerous'' drift towards separatism for the island.
Until recently, Beijing insisted that Taiwan was ``a province'' of China and that the People's Republic of China (PRC) was the sole legitimate representative of the whole of China. Taipei has long rejected Beijing's claim.
In a recent meeting with a delegation from Taiwan's People First Party, Vice-Premier Qian Qichen had made a similar statement. Many Taiwan politicians saw it as a positive development and asked Beijing to make it public.
Yesterday's news conference, the first of its kind, will be repeated on a regular basis, according to the website of the Taipei-based China Times.
But it will only serve media from the communities of the mainland, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
Analysts said it was a publicity drive to reinforce Beijing's view that the Taiwan issue was purely an internal matter.
7 September 2000 / 12:35 AM
