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China has `misjudged' Taiwan

Stating that Beijing's planned anti-secession law was the result of misjudging Taiwan's political situation, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday said the law would only further the distance between the two sides of the Strait.

Chen, who is currently on the last leg of his visit to the South Pacific, made the remarks at a gathering with the Taiwanese press corps traveling with him.

"The anti-secession law is China's attempt to legalize its use of force against Taiwan," said Chen, adding, "the law is Beijing's attempt to unilaterally change the status quo and challenge the US' Taiwan Relations Act."

Referring to last month's legislative elections in which the pan-green camp failed to obtain a majority, Chen said this gave Beijing confidence in moving ahead with the anti-secession bill.

"The electoral result has nothing to do with the current political climate ... China misjudged it," Chen said, citing low voter turnout and alleged vote buying incidents as having affected the electoral result.

Stressing that there are differing opinions in Taiwan with regard to cross-strait relations, Chen said he wishes to establish a Committee for Cross-strait Peace and Development so that all people can openly discuss the matter.

Noting his push for constitutional reconstruction as an example, Chen said it has been criticized by China as an attempt to push for a direction toward de jure independence.

"There are misunderstandings on many things. Sometimes it is because [Beijing] deliberately misjudges issues," Chen said.

Freeing oneself, scrapping political scheming and casting aside ideological confrontation are the three guiding principles in Taiwan's efforts to achieve reconciliation and cooperation between its opposing political camps, he said.

"These three principles may also help normalize cross-strait relations," the president said.

Noting the launch of direct charter flight across the Strait during the Lunar New Year holidays, Chen said it had been a step forward in cross-strait reconciliation and rapprochement.

The takeoff of the direct charter flights indicated that both sides of the Strait can find ways around their differences, so long as they shelve political disputes and ideological differences, Chen said.

Even though the charter flights do not necessarily signal the establishment of full-fledged air links, Chen said they are least a good start in breaking the impasse in bilateral ties.

"As full-fledged flight links are a concern, nothing is impossible, as long as both side are sincere and Taiwan's national security is upheld," Chen said.

The president also said that he will not back away from his "three insistences" during his time in office.

The "three insistences" refer to Taiwan's insistence to pursue democracy, upholding a Taiwan identity and insisting that Taiwan become a normal, complete country.

Citing Japan's aspirations to join the UN Security Council, Chen said that "only when all Asian countries, including Taiwan, become normal countries will Japan then become fully integrated in the international community."

"While holding fast to our stance, we shall proceed pragmatically," the president said, adding that "things do not always proceed in a straight line."

In response to questions about who will take up the Straits Exchange Foundation's (SEF) chairmanship now that chairman Koo Chen-fu (辜振甫) has passed away, Chen said he would ponder the issue after Koo's funeral.

On the subject of Taiwan-US relations, when asked to comment on outgoing US Secretary of State Colin Powell's remarks about Taiwan last year concerning its sovereignty, Chen said "whether or not Taiwan is a sovereign country ... I think it should be a question answered by Taiwan's 23 million people, not other countries."

"Even if other countries do not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign nation nor have official diplomatic ties [with it], it doesn't change the fact the Taiwan is a sovereign country whose national title is Republic of China," Chen said.
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