Incensed China summons envoy

Press, 28 August 1980, Page 6

Incensed China summons envoy

NZPA Peking China declared yesterday that the Republican presidential candidate, Ronald Reagan, “is still sticking to his erroneous ‘two-Chinas’ stance.” The official Chinese news agency, Xinhua, reported on Mr Reagan’s Los Angeles press conference earlier this week in which he again called for a United States liaison office on Taiwan. China is incensed by what it considers to be his desire for stronger and official ties with Taiwan. Severing official ties with Taiwan was the basis for establishment of full diplomatic relations with the mainland.

The United States Ambassador (Mr Leonard Woodcock) was summoned yesterday to the Chinese Foreign Ministry to hear a statement on Sino-

American relations and, presumably, Mr Reagan’s policy. There was. no report on that meeting. Woodcock summoned American reporters to the embassy to deliver his own carefully worded statement. The"' meeting was called, •he said, on his Own initiative and without instructions from the Carter Administration. 3

He said that ties (with China had been sought by both Republican and Democratic Administrations, j The ambassador added: “To endanger the carefully crafted relationship between the People’s Republic of China and the United States, which is progressing so well and to our mutual benefit, is to run the risk of gravely weakening the American international positions at a dangerous time.”