China President Won’t Exclude Taiwan Seizure

Chinese President Li Xiannian said today that he would not exclude the use of force to reunify Taiwan with the mainland but stressed a peaceful alternative that would allow the capitalist-oriented island to coexist with communism.

In a taped interview broadcast on ABC’s “Good Morning America” program, Li was questioned on the future status of Taiwan in the light of his summit talks in Washington.

“You’re trying to get something out of me and you’re trying very hard,” Li laughingly said.

“The concept of one country, two systems, is a very courageous concept,” he said. “Because that means there will be two systems and one country. Taiwan will continue to practice capitalism, and the mainland will not send troops to Taiwan. And all the investments, foreign investments, foreign interests in Taiwan, they will be protected, as we promised to do in Hong Kong.”

Closeness to Moscow?

Asked if there is a point “at which China would feel it was necessary to use force to reunify Taiwan?” Li replied, “I would not exclude that.”

The Chinese president was asked if the United States should worry about Peking “getting too close again” to Moscow.

He said the Chinese vice premier visited Moscow during which a long-term trade agreement was signed.

“However, if deployment of Soviet troops along the Sino-Soviet border and in Mongolia, and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the Soviet backing of . . . the invasion of Kampuchea (Cambodia) remain unsettled, then relations between the Soviet Union will be only trade between the two countries.

“Even if relations between China and the Soviet Union are improved,” he added, “(they) will not return to what they were in the 1950s; they will not return to relations between allies.”