Dear Mr. Tung Chee-hwa,

International China needs join in global effect. We are looking forward to the German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder expressed support for mainland China's entry into the G-8 grouping of industrialized nations in order to increase transparency in global financial markets.

President Jiang Zemin ended his talks in European on Wednesday (Oct. 27, 1999) after calling for a closer strategic relationship with the European Union (EU).

A looming EU-PRC summit dominated talks with Portugal's Prime Minister Antonio Guterres, Jiang's last diplomatic engagement of a nine-day tour of Britain, France and Portugal. He was to move on Wednesday to Morocco, followed by Algeria and Saudi Arabia.

After 90 minutes of talks, Jiang flew to the northern city of Oporto to finish his stay in Portugal. Jiang hailed the EU as an "important force on the current international scene," in a speech at a state banquet on Tuesday night given by Portugal's President Jorge Sampaio. In a lighter moment at the dinner, Jiang wore a Portuguese fado singer's cape to sing a traditional Chinese song for the 2000 guests.

But he said: "The strengthening of dialogue and cooperation as well as the common engagement in a constructive, durable and stable partnership between China and the EU corresponds to our respective interests and also contributes to peace."

"We want to develop vigorous relations with all European countries, including Portugal, to establish a new political and economic international order that is just and reasonable," he added.

Portugal will become president of the EU on Jan. 1 and Jiang discussed with Guterres an EU-PRC meeting and an EU-PRC summit to be held in Seoul next year. A special meeting of European foreign ministers with mainland Chinese foreign Tang Jiaxuan will be held next April in Lisbon. Beijing increasingly sees Europe as an important counter-balance to U.S. influence, diplomats said, and Jiang has pleaded the case in each capital on his visit.

In France in particular, Jiang and President Jacques Chirac called for a "multi-polar" world.

The 30-hour visit to Portugal was dominated by the looming return of Macau to Chinese rule. This was also raised by Jiang and Guterres.

The mainland Chinese leader told the banquet the "exercise of Chinese sovereignty on Macau territory is the symbol of an important new step for the Chinese people in the process of reunification of the motherland."

This is a good condition for "three links" with mainland China, because of "president's election" is hinting the future of Taiwan policy.

Taiwan's top envoy with China Koo Chen-fu yesterday (Nov. 2, 1999) reasserted his desire to visit the mainland to meet with his Beijing counterpart, an idea he first floated two weeks ago.

Koo, Chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation, also made it clear that China's two preconditions for its top cross-strait negotiator Wang Daohan to visit Taiwan are inappropriate.

"We have not made any alternations in our ongoing policy, while all the mainland's fear (about a change in the Constitution) have also proved unnecessary," Koo told reporters.

"As such, Taiwan's redefinition of its statehood should be seen as no more than an understandable act to prepare for the upcoming political dialogues."

The senior negotiator said Taiwan has not ceased preparations for Wang's visit, adding that he would be willing to meet with Wang again in China if there are some other concerns on Wang's part holding back the trip.

China, arranged by Lee's remarks that the mainland and Taiwan should relate with each other on a state to state basis, has threatened to call off Wang's visit unless Lee withdraws his statement. Beijing also insists that Lee meets with Wang only in his capacity as the chairman of the Kuomintang. The meeting was originally penciled in autumn.

"Any events in the strait should not be interpreted as an intentional obstacle set by the other side, or taken advantage by one side to preempt the other," he added.

"Neither part should make irrational reactions in any events," he added.

Koo said that as autumn is not yet over, China should deliberate whether its two preconditions are legitimate.

"There is no way to say we are not two separate countries at this point," he said.

Taiwan should adjust its "no haste, be patient" policy toward China to facilitate the establishment of "three direct links" under the precondition that Taiwan's national security is fully protected, Democratic Progressive Party presidential hopeful Chen Shui-bian said yesterday (Nov. 2, 1999).

The establishment of direct trade, transport and mail services across the Taiwan Strait is an important issue which Taiwan cannot dodge, but national security should always be the top priority, said Chen.

Pointing out that neither the government's current "no haste, be patient" policy governing Taiwan investment in mainland China, nor a broad "go west" strategy is a good way to deal with current economic exchanges between the two sides, Chen said Taiwan should consider conditionally opening the three direct links with the mainland.

Although the three links is a sensitive issue, Chen stressed that Taiwan must face it bravely in order to promote normal trade and commerce activities across the strait.

Regarding the much-disputed direct transport link, Chen argued that Taiwan and the mainland should first set up shipping ties, and that cargo services, rather than passenger traffic, should be opened first.

According to Chen, his viewpoints in this regard are a result of exchanges of opinion with relevant government authorities, experts and Taiwan business leaders. The DPP presidential candidate said he had already expressed similar opinions in an April 20 speech in the United States.

Meanwhile, Chen's advocacy of conditional establishment of three direct links has drawn mixed response from the pro-independence DPP. Some party members have accused Chen of "selling out" Taiwan to gain voted in the island's next presidential race, slated for March 2000.

Chang Chun-hung, a DPP legislator who serves concurrently as convener of the party's presidential campaign strategy committee, said Chen's call for opening three direct links without any conditions is like asking Taiwan to surrender to China in humiliation.

Chang said he is afraid that many traditional DPP supporters may not be able to accept such a drastic change of the DPP's stand, and may thus support other candidates in next year's presidential elections.

We hope leaders in mainland China should hold the key points on good atmosphere for both sides.