BEIJING, Dec 20 (AFP)
China�s state-controlled media celebrated the return of Macau on Monday by stirring up a frenzy of nationalism focussed on the goal of bringing Taiwan back under Beijing�s rule.
�In the long river of our motherland�s great 5,000 year history, unity has been the mainstream of the development of China�s history,� the Communist Party�s People�s Daily gushed in a front page editorial.
�The glorious history of the Chinese nation since ancient times has been to support unity and oppose splittism. Unity of the motherland and patriotism are the feelings deeply rooted in the culture of the Chinese nation.�
Wall-to-wall coverage on state-run television and in Monday�s newspapers pounded home the message that the Macau handover was only a prelude to the �ultimate return� of Taiwan, as welling as hailing the end of colonial disgrace at the hands of the western powers and the �correct policies� of the ruling Communist Party.
Nothing was underlined more by the state press than Chinese President Jiang Zemin�s efforts at reunification with Taiwan, an effort he formally placed at the center of his political agenda in a speech on reunification at the Spring Festival in 1995.
Jiang has offered Taiwan reunification on the basis of the same �one country, two systems,� principle under which Hong Kong and Macau have been promised 50 years of autonomy from Beijing.
The offer has been repeatedly rebuffed by Taiwan�s leaders, who insist China must move towards democracy as a condition for any serious negotiations.
Jiang�s efforts on Taiwan also dominated the state media here during the 1997 handover of Hong Kong and the celebrations marking 50 years of communist rule earlier this year.
�The return of Hong Kong and the return of Macau ... strongly proves that to realize the unification of the motherland is also the firm basis for realizing the great renaissance of our nation,� the People�s Daily said.
Meanwhile, the China Daily Monday trumpeted the handover as the end of humiliation at the hands of Western powers. This has been a recurrent theme since the founding of the People�s Republic in 1949 but it has been stressed with renewed vigor during the handovers of Hong Kong and Macau.
�China has been waiting for this day for 446 years. The Western powers intrusion upon China started with the Portuguese,� the daily said.
�Protracted foreign occupation on this part of China has always been a psychological scar on all people of Chinese origin.�
The state press has said nothing of Portugal�s earlier attempts to hand over the small enclave of 450,000 people to China, nor has much if anything been said about the importance of gambling and prostitution to the territory�s economy. Both are illegal in China.
Jiang�s emphasis on the Taiwan issue has been seen by some as an attempt to rejuvenate a party which has been beset by both corruption and an ideological crisis during China�s economic boom and market reforms.
Taiwan has been separated from China since 1949, when Mao Zedong�s communists finally triumphed in a civil war and forced the nationalist forces of Chiang Kai-Shek to take refuge on the island.
Taiwan has since thrived economically and is due to hold its second direct presidential elections in March.
16 Dec (Stratfor)
The United States has issued an unofficial ultimatum to Taiwan�s presidential contenders: provoke Beijing any further and risk a loss of U.S. support. By doing so, Washington has announced that it wants no crisis during the upcoming U.S. presidential campaign. More importantly, Washington fears that Beijing may turn up the pressure against Taiwan to release China�s economic and social tensions. While it won�t abandon Taipei, Washington will pull all the diplomatic levers at its disposal to keep island politicians from provoking China.
18 Dec (Stratfor)
In the last three months, the major powers in Central Asia have taken an increasingly active stance on Afghanistan due to concern over the ruling Taliban�s global influence on Muslim extremists. Iran and Pakistan have already publicly focused their attention on Afghanistan. Further evidence suggests that the United States and Russia, and to a lesser extent Turkmenistan and India, are engaging the Taliban in an effort to protect their own interests. For the first time, there appears to be a broad collaboration aimed at resolving the Afghan war, and no one is even talking about the Afghan opposition, the Northern Alliance.
Iran and Pakistan have been coordinating efforts to contain the Taliban and to keep Islamic extremists from crossing their borders. This growing cooperation was highlighted by the joint declaration indicating their desire to promote peace in the region. Although a comprehensive peace settlement in Afghanistan seems unlikely, the statement formally indicated that the two intend to take an active role in ensuring their interests in the region.
It appears, however, that action was not limited to Iran and Pakistan. On Oct. 23, a joint Iranian-Russian statement condemned the war in Afghanistan. According to official Russian statements, much of their opposition is based on the Taliban�s support of the Chechen rebels. It expresses a solid negotiating point: If you don�t export arms, we won�t support your enemies.
Meanwhile the United States engaged itself deeply in discussions with the Taliban, as well as its sponsors in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, over the proposed extradition of Osama bin Laden. Bin Laden reportedly operates in Taliban-controlled sections of Afghanistan. The United States laid out a negotiating point of its own: Hand over bin Laden, and we�ll recognize your government.
Even relatively minor Central Asian powers joined against the Taliban. Turkmenistan shares a long border with Afghanistan and was enlisted after a Nov. 23 visit by Pakistani Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar. Three weeks later, it agreed to rebuild an Afghan cement factory. Already neutral, Turkmenistan took the role of offering incentives to the Taliban.
India is concerned about Taliban influence in Kashmir, but was brought in to help cut off the war itself. It did so by influencing neighboring Uzbekistan, which supported the Northern Alliance.
Two points stand out. First, all the sponsors talk as if willing to withdraw their support for both sides, either to end the conflict or coerce the Taliban. A recent lack of official statements in support of the Northern Alliance, which Russia and Iran have sustained, implies that the support is waning. Also, Pakistan appears ready to cut back support of the Taliban�s military effort.
Second, it appears that all sides are focusing on the Taliban and ignoring the Northern Alliance. The Taliban controls approximately 85 percent of Afghanistan, but so far has been denied diplomatic recognition by most of the world. Both the United States and Russia, however, have strongly hinted that recognition is possible, for a price. The United States wants bin Laden, and Russia wants the end of Taliban support for the Chechens � and by extension, of fundamentalist Islamic movements in Central Asia.
Several outcomes are possible, if the Taliban manages to reach an agreement with both the United States and Russia. The powers could recognize the Taliban, push for the removal of U.N. sanctions, or even withdraw support from the Northern Alliance. Either result would help the Taliban.
However, a resolution of the Afghan war is still unlikely. Major powers may wish to end the conflict or to just stop it from spilling over the borders. However, this is the first time that the major powers have offered quantifiable negotiating points to the Taliban. Neither side may adopt these points as they stand, but they will begin a dialogue.
By Alessandro RAIMONDI
ZURICH, Dec 18 (THE GLOBE)
It was in the air, more than rumors had been already heard, and now it�s for real. The divorce between Swissair and Delta Air Lines has just been announced by Mr. Fred Ried, marketing manager of the American carrier.
The consensual split has not left hard feelings between the two partners that gathered with Belgium�s Sabena and Austrian Airlines into the so-called Atlantic Excellence alliance. Matter of fact the forerunner of the divorce, the US airline, has motivated it not with disagreement with the 3 European partners, but with �the small dimensions of the Atlantic Excellence venture�.
Apart from the soft spoken words, the reality speaks of a failure of the alliance given the lucrative Northern Atlantic route, also used to reach the much in demand destinations of the Caribbeans. So much so that Delta has already concluded a deal with Air France and Aeromexico, adding more flights and, by virtue of code-sharing, �globalizing� its presence in other areas of the planet.
Swissair too has not remained idle after such a blow, and after having been offered by Delta to join the new alliance � an opportunity given also to Sabena and Austrian Airlines � and having kindly but firmly refused the chance, it has started negotiations with another US giant aircarrier, American Airlines.
Like every responsible couple, Swissair and Delta have set a time schedule for dividing their ways for good: Swissair will start immediately transatlantic flights code-shared with American Airlines, however agreements with travel agencies will be honoured until the end of the year. Code-shared flights with Delta will cease by August 5th, 2000, while the final hand shaking between the two airlines will occur by October of the same year.
�Qualiflyer�, the program implemented to award affectionate customers will still be valid until further notice, says a note of the Swiss airline.
Austrian Airlines has already announced that by Summer 2000 it�ll join another high-performance frequent flyer program, �Miles & More�, linked to the global Star Alliance Network lead by Swissair�s greatest competitor, Germany�s Lufthansa.
All Over the Globe is published by IPA House.
© 1998 IPA House. All Rights Reserved.