Opposition urges Chen to avoid provoking China

Opposition leaders yesterday urged President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) to avoid provoking China to maintain peace in the Taiwan Strait.

KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) reminded the president that the US government has supported Taiwan on the precondition that Taiwan does not make any provocative moves against China.

"The US will act differently otherwise," Lien said.

US National Security Council spokesman Sean McCormack on Wednesday reiterated that the US has a "one China" policy and does not support Taiwan independence, in the wake of President Chen's remarks saying "there is one country on each side" of the Taiwan Strait and backing legislation for a referendum on whether to change the status quo of Taiwan.

The DPP government has emphasized that the remarks were not a call for independence and dispatched officials to Washington to explain it to the US government.

While saying the US government took the statements by Chen "at face value," McCormack called on Taiwan and China to "avoid steps which might threaten cross-strait peace and stability."

Lien said he was very disappointed to hear what McCormack had to say, because it implied that the US government was skeptical of Taiwan's explanation.

Also, Lien said it was an embarrassment to the people of Taiwan that they did not hear any direct explanation from the government over the past few days but instead saw ruling party officials rushing to Washington.

"People are only informed of many major issues concerning the government by foreign wire reports," Lien said.

Echoing Lien's view, PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) said most people in Taiwan want to maintain the status quo and believe it is not time for a referendum.

Soong said people in Taiwan will decide their own destiny and will not accept China's "one country, two systems" formula for unification.

Soong said it is the wish of the people of Taiwan to maintain cross-strait peace and see improvement in the economy.

According to Soong, Chen's remarks have caused anxiety for the people of Taiwan, misunderstanding in the international community and obstructions to direct cross-strait shipping.

According to a survey released yesterday by the KMT legislative caucus, 54.8 percent of the people support maintaining the status quo.

While 24.3 percent of the people think that Taiwan should declare independence, 12.9 percent are for unification with China.

The poll was conducted on Aug. 7 by interviewing 1,067 respondents, with the margin of error ranging from plus and minus 3 percent.