THE KOO-WANG TALKS AND THE PROSPECT OF BUILDING CONSTRUCTIVE AND STABLE RELATIONS ACROSS THE TAIWAN STRAITS

Authors
Citation
H. Chiu, THE KOO-WANG TALKS AND THE PROSPECT OF BUILDING CONSTRUCTIVE AND STABLE RELATIONS ACROSS THE TAIWAN STRAITS, Issues and studies - Institute of International Relations, 29(8), 1993, pp. 1-36
Citations number
19
Categorie Soggetti
Political Science","International Relations
ISSN journal
10132511
Volume
29
Issue
8
Year of publication
1993
Pages
1 - 36
Database
ISI
SICI code
1013-2511(1993)29:8<1:TKTATP>2.0.ZU;2-D
Abstract
On February 8, 1991, the Republic of China (ROC) established the priva te Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) to make unofficial contact and ne gotiations with the mainland Chinese authorities. Koo Chen-fu, chairma n of the National Association of Industry and Commerce, was elected ch airman of the SEF. On December 6, 1991, the People's Republic of China (PRC) decided to establish a corresponding organization-the Associati on for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS). Wang Tao-han (Wang Daohan), a former mayor of Shanghai, was elected its chairman. On Apr il 27, 1993, Koo and Wang began their historic talks in Singapore and on April 29, 1993, four agreements were concluded. This was the first meeting between the heads of two private, but government-authorized in termediary organizations of Taiwan and the mainland since the two part s of China were de facto divided in late 1949. This article reviews th e background and origin of the Koo-Wang talks and their implications f or the development of Taiwan-mainland relations. The official ROC view on the talks as released by the ROC Mainland Affairs Council, the Eng lish translation of the four agreements reached at the talks, and the Guidelines for National Unification are included in the appendices of this paper.