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Chen's scrap hint 'goes against people's will'
By Xun Feng (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-02-01 08:35
Taiwan "president" Chen Shui-bian's latest remark that he might scrap a key
policy body on China's reunification "is against the will of the people across
the Taiwan Straits," a renowned mainland expert said in Beijing yesterday.
"It shows Chen is taking an important move towards implementing the policy he
delivered on his New Year's Day speech, which features nothing but active
guidelines towards Taiwan 'independence'," said Yu Keli, director of the
Institute of Taiwan Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
He said such a move runs against the people's wishes on promoting
cross-Straits relations and safeguarding peace and stability.
Given the profound change in the political geography on the island since last
year, "Chen's attempt to seek Taiwan 'independence' would never win support from
the people on the island, nor would he succeed," Yu said.
On Sunday, also the first day of the Lunar New Year, Chen told a rally it was
time to consider scrapping the island's National Unification Council and its
guidelines on reunification.
The two other goals he listed include drafting a new constitution and
entering the United Nations with the name of Taiwan.
Set up in 1991, the council was formerly the island's top policy-making body
on crucial questions of reunification.
It adopted the council guidelines the same year to pursue reunification with
the mainland.
By trying to scrap the council and the guidelines, Chen is actually seeking
to reverse the trend of history and has violated his earlier
"four-nos-plus-one-without" commitments, Yu said.
In his 2000 inauguration speech, Chen pledged "he would not declare
'independence,' not change the name of the island, not constitutionalize the
description of Taiwan's relationship with the mainland as 'state-to-state,' and
not push for a referendum on 'independence'."
The "one without" was Chen's pledge without question not to abolish the
National Unification Council or the National Unification Guidelines.
"The mainland will oppose strongly Chen's move, which tries to reverse
historical trend. The international community would not support him because he
is creating tension in cross-Straits relations," Yu said.
Chen's Lunar New Year speech also drew strong criticism on the island.
The chairman of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT), Ma Ying-jeou, said that
Chen's credibility would be questioned now that he decided to scrap the council
and guidelines.
KMT spokesman Chang Yung-kung also said Chen's move signals a start towards
Taiwan "independence."
In response to Chen's remarks, the United States reiterated on Monday that
its policy on Taiwan had not changed.
"The United States does not support Taiwan 'independence' and opposes
unilateral changes to the status quo by either Taiwan or Beijing," the US State
Department said in a statement.
(China Daily 02/01/2006 page1)
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