Taiwan opposition demands president explain apparent threat of independence (China)

Associated Press ^ | Mon Jul 22,10:15 AM ET | WILLIAM FOREMAN

[Lake]

Taiwan opposition demands president explain apparent threat of independence

Mon Jul 22,10:15 AM ET

By WILLIAM FOREMAN, Associated Press Writer

TAIPEI, Taiwan - Opposition leaders demanded Monday that Taiwan's president explain weekend comments that many interpreted as a threat to push the island toward independence, which could trigger a war with China.

Despite the pressure, President Chen Shui-bian declined to expand on his Sunday speech giving China an ultimatum: Help Taiwan start peace talks or else the island's people might "walk down our own Taiwanese road to find Taiwan's future."

China has yet to respond.

The leader of Taiwan's largest opposition party accused the president of being dangerously vague about a sensitive issue.

"As the chairman of his party, Chen Shui-bian should speak clearly," said Lien Chan of the former ruling Nationalist Party. "He should not make the public have to guess about what he means. This is too irresponsible."

Taiwan, just 100 miles off China's southeastern coast, has had loose ties with the mainland throughout history. But since the Communist Party took over China in 1949, Taiwan has refused to be governed by Beijing.

Chinese leaders still consider democratic Taiwan a province of China under Beijing's rule. They have warned repeatedly that they might use force to control Taiwan if the island seeks formal independence.

The ongoing dispute makes the Taiwan Strait one of Asia's most dangerous potential flashpoints.

Since Chen was elected two years ago, he has invited Chinese leaders to meet him at a peace summit. But the president has refused Beijing's precondition for talks: that he agree Taiwan is an inseparable part of China — the so-called "one-China principle."

As he seeks re-election in 2004, the president needs to improve ties with Beijing and to deliver on his campaign pledge to end a five-decade ban on direct air and shipping links with China.

Chen's comments Sunday were an apparent expression of frustration with China. Hours earlier, China announced it established diplomatic relations with the tiny Pacific island of Nauru, which was Taiwan's diplomatic ally.

Now, only 27 countries recognize Taiwan, most of them small, developing nations.

The United States cut formal ties with Taiwan in 1979 when it shifted diplomatic relations to the mainland, which insists all nations have ties only with it. Nevertheless, Washington maintains close relations with Taiwan, provides it with military hardware and is the island's most likely defender against a Chinese attack.

Chen's remarks were vague and avoided the politically charged word "independence." This annoyed opposition critics, who demanded he explain exactly what he meant.

Chang Chao-hsiung, vice chairman of the People First Party, complained, "We still don't know what road he wants to walk down. He hasn't told us."

But an editorial in the small, pro-independence Taiwan Daily said it understood what the president meant and it agreed with him.

The paper accused China of trying to make the president look bad by stealing away Nauru. China announced its agreement with Nauru just as Chen's Democratic Progressive Party held an important convention to make Chen the party's chairman.

"A bad egg always picks the most pivotal moment to do a bad deed," the pro-government Taiwan Daily editorial said.

One DPP leader, former Premier Chang Chun-hsiung ( news - web sites), tried to clarify Chen's statements during a meeting with Douglas Paal, the new U.S. representative to Taiwan.

"Every nation travels down its own road when it comes to foreign policy," Chang, DPP secretary-general, was quoted as saying in a DPP statement.

He added, "Taiwan's future should be decided by its 23 million people."

But Chang also apparently tried to address concerns that the president might try to provoke China.

"The Democratic Progressive Party will continue to work to maintain peace between the two sides. There shouldn't be any changes," he said.

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