Chen announces his `seven points'

In his attempt to engage China before the upcoming Chinese New Year, DPP presidential candidate Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) claimed yesterday that if he won the election next month he would neither declare independence nor change the official name of Taiwan -- unless it were invaded.

Chen also reaffirmed that the DPP would like to resume cross-strait negotiations. The presidential hopeful said that he would even be open to discussing the "one China" policy, so long as it was not a pre-condition for dialogue.

"Unless China attempts to use force, the DPP will never declare the independence of Taiwan unilaterally, or even call for a referendum on the issue," Chen said. "In addition, we will not put the `two-states' formula into the Constitution. If I am the new president, any change in the current status of Taiwan would be decided by all Taiwanese people."

Chen stressed that Taiwan has already become an independent, sovereign country, so there is no need to take up the question of whether Taiwan is independent. Similarly, there is no need for Taiwan to change its official name.

If both sides approached talks with "the presuppositions of `peaceful resolution' and `reciprocal treatment,' the one China policy could also be discussed," he said.

These comments formed the basis of two of the "seven points" that Chen elaborated yesterday, which marked the fifth anniversary of Chinese President Jiang Zemin's (江澤民) "eight points" statement on cross-strait relations. Chen's remarks were seen as an attempt to allay international concern about the prospect of a Chen presidency.

In his seven points, Chen appealed to Chinese leaders to avoid making references to a "military resolution" to the conflict between Taiwan and China.

Chen's third point advocated the restoration of negotiations and dialogue to normalize cross-strait relations as soon as possible.

"In addition to official channels, we welcome any other new measures to help establish reliable communication between Taiwan and China," he said.

In his fourth point, Chen suggested that both sides' leaders should sign a peaceful treaty and invited officials to visit each other.

"We can talk about any issue, such as implementing `confidence-building measures' [and] lifting the restrictions on the so-called `three links' on certain conditions," he said.

Chen's fifth point contained a vow to help China democratize and modernize.

In his sixth point, Chen said that both sides should participate in the international community under the auspices of the World Trade Organization to develop peace and prosperity for Taiwan and China.

Finally, Chen reaffirmed in his seventh point that he would like to visit China after the presidential election and before his inauguration if he wins. He likewise invited Chinese leaders to visit Taiwan.

The KMT said Chen's statement was a concession to China, but it did not eliminate people's anxiety about a possible war if Chen wins the election.

"A few days ago, when he talked on President Jiang's eight points, China's Vice Premier Qian Qichen (錢其琛) said that Taiwan's independence means war," said Chang Jung-kung (張榮恭), director general of the KMT's Mainland Affairs Department.

"So Chen apparently made a concession on his party's independent stance. Chen tried to create a theory of passive independent conditions, but he still failed to ease the worries of Chinese leaders."