Reuters-FOCUS-ASEAN weighs into Chi

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Subject: Reuters-FOCUS-ASEAN weighs into China-Taiwan spat 

FOCUS-ASEAN weighs into China-Taiwan spat
07:38 a.m. Jul 24, 1999 Eastern
By Dan Sloan

SINGAPORE, July 24 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian foreign ministers weighed
into the China-Taiwan dispute on Saturday, giving support to Beijing's ``one
China'' policy in a communique that also warned rising tensions could harm
economic growth.

Tensions between China and Taiwan will be the backdrop for a meeting between
U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Chinese Foreign Minister Tang
Jiaxuan on Sunday.

It is the highest level diplomatic meeting between China and the United
States since the NATO bombing of Beijing's embassy in Belgrade in May.

The two will be holding talks on the sidelines of the annual meeting of
foreign ministers from the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN),
which runs until Wednesday.

The ASEAN ministers said they hoped for a peaceful resolution to
Taiwan-China spat which erupted after Taiwan President Lee Teng Hui said on
July 9 that Taipei was scrapping its ``one China'' policy that had kept the
peace in the Taiwan Strait for decades.

Negotiations with China would take place on a state-to-state basis, Lee
said.

``We expressed our concern over the tension that arose in the Taiwan Strait
after July, 9, 1999, which could seriously affect regional peace and
stability and prospects for economic recovery,'' the ASEAN communique said.

``We hoped for a quick and peaceful return to normalcy. We re-affirmed our
commitment to our 'One China Policy','' it said.

As Tang arrived in Singapore on Saturday, Beijing reiterated its commitment
to the possible use of force to achieve reunification with Taiwan.

Tang, who along with Albright will be a dialogue partner at the ASEAN
meetings, made no comment upon arriving.

ASEAN groups Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand,
Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Brunei, and Myanmar.

The ASEAN communique included reference to a code of conduct for the Spratly
islands, a contested cluster of potentially oil- and gas-rich isles that are
claimed by China, the Philippines, Brunei, Taiwan, Malaysia and Vietnam.

The statement, while thin on details, reflected the positions of ASEAN
members while at the same time affirming convictions regarding ``peace and

stability in the region.''

``Within the claimant states, I think there is no secret that there are
different nuances to the shape and form of the code. But I can tell you that
it was unanimous at the ministers' meeting to proceed with the code of
conduct,'' said Singapore Foreign Minister S. Jayakumar at a news briefing.

The long-simmering dispute over the Spratlys had already flared ahead of the
ministerial meeting. The Philippine Navy on Monday sank a Chinese boat in
what Manila called an accidental collision. Beijing said its boat was
rammed.

Philippine Foreign Minister Domingo Siazon told Reuters that ASEAN was
moving too slowly on security issues threatening the region.

``We seem to concentrate a lot on bread and water issues, forgetting that we
can live without bread and water for a few days but it's very difficult to
live without oxygen for more than five minutes.''

Siazon said having a stable security situation would ``guarantee the
continuous flow of oxygen to Southeast Asia.''