MOSCOW REITERATES ITS ADHERENCE TO “ONE CHINA” POLICY.

The Russian Foreign Ministry yesterday distanced itself from a visit to Taiwan by a delegation of Russian parliamentarians. It also reiterated Moscow’s “unconditional” adherence to a “one China” policy. Foreign Ministry spokesman Vladimir Rakhmanin told reporters that, in official Moscow’s view, there is only one China–the People’s Republic. Its government, he said, is the only legitimate one in China–which, he noted, includes Taiwan. The Foreign Ministry statement follows by a day the arrival in Taipei of a group of Russian deputies from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR). The group is led by LDPR chief Vladimir Zhirinovsky (see the Monitor, October 20).

Rakhmanin made clear that the LDPR had received no government funding for the trip to Taiwan, but described the venture in relatively positive terms–as an effort to promote beneficial contacts between the Russian and Taiwanese business communities. The LDPR delegation, which was invited to the island by high-ranking Taiwanese officials, is to remain in Taiwan for five days. To get there the group chartered a flight on the private Vnukovo Airlines (Itar-Tass, Xinhua, October 20).

RUSSIAN DEFENSE CHIEF IN HANOI.