China-Taiwan Spat Snags Hong Kong Chief

HONG KONG —  Hong Kong’s new leader, Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa, plunged into a delicate task Thursday of working out a new relationship with Taiwan but found himself caught in the cross-fire between Taipei and Beijing.

Hong Kong, now a part of China, and Taiwan, branded a rebel province by Beijing, named high-level intermediaries to improve their cooperation.

But shortly after Tung met with senior Taiwan figure Koo Chen-fu, China’s Foreign Ministry made it clear that any dealings between the two sides need Beijing’s approval.

“Official contact, exchanges, negotiations, signing of agreements between the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Taiwan region must be reported to the central government for approval,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Tang Guoqiang said.

Taiwan instantly fired back by saying Communist China was trying to squeeze the Nationalist-ruled island by requiring all Hong Kong-Taiwan contacts to be vetted.

Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui assailed Beijing for trying to force Taipei to accept China’s sovereignty, saying unification can spring only from democracy, freedom and equitable prosperity.

“Nothing good will come out of one side forcing its will on the other,” Lee said.

Koo, Taipei’s representative on Taiwan-China affairs, said he had opened a channel for dialogue with Tung. In turn, Tung appointed a member of his inner advisory council, Paul Yip Kwok-wah, to act as his intermediary in Taiwan-Hong Kong affairs.

A host of issues must be ironed out in an economically crucial Hong Kong-Taiwan relationship that has become even more politically sensitive since Hong Kong was returned to Chinese control at midnight Monday.

Much of Taiwan’s massive trade with China passes through Hong Kong. Taiwan trade is a key source of revenue for Hong Kong’s ports, banks and other service industries.

The Chinese Nationalists on Taiwan have banned all direct contacts with China since they fled to the island in 1949 after their defeat in civil war. China views Taiwan as a renegade province.