BUSH LEAVES CHINA WITH NEW IDEAS FOR RESOLVING TAIWAN ARMS DISPUTE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83B00551R000200010022-3
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 21, 2007
• Sequence Number: 22
• Publication Date: May 10, 1982
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

United States arms sales to Taiwan.
Mr. Bush said that he was going home
with a "much clearer perception" of
the Chinese position on Taiwan, which
dorpinated two days of what were de?
scribed as frank exchanges that .Mr.
Bush had with deputy party chairman
Deng Xiaoping, Prime Minister Zhao
Ziyang, Foreign Minister Huang Hua
and Deputy Prime Minister Wan Li.
But the Vide President refused to say
what these Ideas entailed or whether
any had been proposed by the Chinese.
In formal meetings and more casual
conversations, the Chinese leaders
pressed Mr. Bush on the arms sale
issue, emphasizing that it had created
"serious obstacles" to the normal
development of Chinese-American rela-
tions, which are now at their lowest
point since formal diplomatic ties were
established on Jan. 1, 1979.
Three Letters Released
y CHRISTOPHER S. WREN
Special to The New Yolk Times
PEKING, May 9 - Vice President
Bush left China today with what he
called "some specific ideas" for Presi.
dent Reagan on'resolving'the Impasse
that has' developed over the issue of
BUsiyl;eav s ~C~iiriP-3
~Tith New Ideas
For Resolving Taiwan Arms Dispute
Approved For Release 2007/08/21: CIA-RDP83BOO551 R000200010022-3
nese on their opposition to the
arms sales to Taiwan, Mr. Bush told re.
Porters that "frankly, I feel good about
the discussions I have had-during the
past days."
"I feel," he went on, "that some
progress has been made and I believe
that the recent personal correspond.
ence by the President to the Chinese
leaders has done much to help advance
the process..,
Three letters, which were made pub-
lic by Mr. Bush's staff today, included
one to Mr. Deng from the President giv-
ing Mr. Reagan's strongest endorse.
ment yet of the plan for peaceful reuni-
fication that Peking proposed to Taiwan
amid great fanfare last September.
The proposal, which was announced
by Ye Jianying, chairman of China's_
"I will take back certain ideas that I
gleaned from the Chinese leadership
and discuss those with the President,"
Mr. Bush said at an airport news con-
ference before his departure.
He remarked later that "I may have
some specific ideas to suggest to him,
and maybe the Chinese side will be talk-
ing about specific things that we dis-
cussed."
Despite his evident failure to budge
the Chi
consequently, the gradual elirnina-
tion of United States arms transfers to
Taiwan must have come up in the talks
that Mr. Bush had with the Chinese
leaders, though the Vice President
would not discuss the substance of his
meetings.
"I'm not going to elaborate on the de.
tails of any negotiation," Mr. Bush re-
plied when a reporter asked him to be
more specific about the progress that
L- --
~e said
he
a very clear perception of the Chinese
position, a much clearer perception
th
e`--- --- --- -
an
this relationship is absolutely funda.
"
that view. Taiwan Relations Act
In this sense, the visit was a success
States accepted this view in normaliz-
ing relations.
During his visit, Mr. Bush played
a
?`_
w
nese-American negotiations might af-
f
ect the act Mr Bhid
,.us sa that "this
President is bound to uphold the law of
Bush Resting in Hawaii
KONA, Hawaii, May 9 (AP) - Vice
President Bush arrived in Hawaii today
for two days of rest after his six-nation
tour of Asia. No public engagements
were planned during his stay here. He is
nominal Parliament, promised that
Taiwan could keep its economic and so-
cial system and even its armed forces
and that its Nationalist leaders could
participate in running the mainland
Communist regime. This and the offer
of talks leading to reunification were
promptly rejected by the Taiwan au-
thorities as a trick.
Peaceful Reunification
In his letter of April 5, which sug-
gested that Mr. Bush visit China, Mr.
Reagan said:
"We fully recognize the significance
f th
o
e nine-point proposal of Sept. 30,
1981 and* the policy set forth by your
Go
vernment as early as J 1 1979
an.,."
This latter reference alluded to p
American relations were established
that it sought peaceful reunificati )
on
with Taiwan rather than military liber-
ation.
The acknowledgment of Peking's
peace overture, while falling short of
full approval, indicated the extent to
which the Reagan Administration is
concerned that Chinese-American rela-
tions not deteriorate further.
It also seemed to undercut the Ad.
ministration's rationale for planning to
sell $60 million worth of military spare
parts to Taiwan over China's objec-
tions. Peking has maintained that its
formal bid for peaceful reunification
has eliminated any need for transfers of
American arms to Taiwan.
Letter to Prime Minister
Two oth er letters from Mr. Reagan
made public today included a letter to
Prime Minister Zhao, also on April 5,
proposing Mr. Bush's visit and recall-
ing that the President had told Foreign
Minister Huang in Washington last
November that "we welcome your
peace proposal."
The third letter, dated May 3 and
h
d
an
carried by M Bh f
-r.usor Hu Yao-
bang, the party chairman, reiterated
Mr. Reagan's commitment to a one.
China policy, a point that Mr. Bush
stressed throughout his visit here.
Mr. Reagan's letter to Prime Minis.
ter Zhao also said that he had told Mr.
Huang: "We would expect that in the
context of progress toward a peaceful
solution, there would naturally be a de-
crease in the need for arms by Taiwan
.
Our positions over the past two months
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