Lee's Call Leaves Beijing Cold

Lee's Call Leaves Beijing Cold BEIJING: Taiwanese President Lee Teng-Hui's conciliatory speech on Monday has elicited not much more than stony indifference from China's Foreign Ministry. Even though Lee offered to "meet and directly exchange opinions with the Chinese Communist leaders to open a new era in dialogue and cooperation," Beijing's only comment at a press briefing Tuesday was that the Taiwanese inauguration speech was an "internal affair." Even though Lee called Taiwanese independence unnecessary and impossible, which seemingly dovetails with Beijing's 'One China Policy,' the mainland remains unfriendly. China's Taiwan Affairs Office said it continues to resolutely oppose Lee, "who masks separatist activities with calls for reunification." Lee's conditions for his visit, that he come as a democratically elected leader, were rejected. "The Chinese see nothing new in this speech," says TIME Beijing Correspondent Mia Turner. "Lee's speech is certainly not an olive branch of peace to Beijing. Lee's offer to visit, instead of kowtowing to the government, would bring him a certain amount of prestige as the Taiwanese emissary. Beijing is not interested in legitimizing Lee to that extent, since it is still very distrustful of him." Terence Nelan