It is unfortunate that the Post's reporter John Pomfret quotes a Beijing spokesman without giving any additional information, while it is obvious that Beijing is merely playing with words ("U.S. Seeks China-Taiwan Dialogue," news story, Feb. 21). Mr. Pomfret writes that "China's foreign minister announced that [China] was willing to resume talks with Taiwan "with no preconditions." The international community perceives the offer as a charm offensive, and the offer makes Taiwan look like the party-spoiler. But this is what actually happened:

Over the years, Beijing persistently has refused to talk with Taipei unless Taipei accepts the one-China policy - i.e. accepts Beijing's position that Taiwan is part of China. As of as late as mid-January, Beijing said that talks hinge on Taiwan accepting its one-China principle, that the only China is the communist People's Republic and that Taiwan is part of the mainland.

When a delegation led by former defense secretary William Perry arrived in Taiwan on Jan. 16 and relayed Beijing's offer "to open talks with Taipei with no preconditions" Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council spokesman replied generously: "We are ready to resume dialogues. Taiwan welcomes any Chinese proposal to resume talks with no preconditions.'

Two days earlier, Taiwan's President Lee Teng-hui had said he hoped to resume talks with China, based on "the understanding that Taiwan and China are different political entities which are ruled separately." He also stressed that Taiwan is already an independent state which does not accept Beijing's one-China Policy.

A Chinese spokesman then said that for talks to resume "both China and Taiwan must recognize that there is One China, but one China' is not a precondition because it is a fact recognized by both sides of the Taiwan Strait."

It is clear that there is no change in Beijing's approach. Beijing insists that Taipei accepts that Taiwan is part of China. It is not. Taiwan is a de facto independent country. And it is time that the international community in general and China in particular acknowledge that reality.

WEN-YEN CHEN

President, Formosan Association for Public Affairs, Washington