Thu, Mar 17, 2005 page3

• Chen lashes out over China's law

  CROSS-STRAIT In his first remarks since the passage of China's `Anti-Secession' Law, the president blasted the legislation, saying it upset regional stability

  • By Huang Tai-lin / STAFF REPORTER
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  Lambasting China's newly enacted "Anti-Secession" Law as a "law of aggression" that sabotages cross-strait and regional stability, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday condemned China for clinging obstinately to its own course in enacting the legislation despite the international community's opposition.

  Defending Taiwan's sovereignty, Chen said China had no right to decide Taiwan's political future.

  "The 2,000-or-so Chinese parliamentarians cannot vote on the fate of 23 million Taiwanese people," Chen said, referring to China's rubber-stamp National People's Congress, which passed the 10-article legislation with an overwhelming majority of 2,896 votes and none against. Two delegates abstained.

  The law authorizes an attack against Taiwan, employing the use of "non-peaceful means" if "all possibilities for a peaceful unification" are exhausted.

  "Only the great Taiwan people can decide Taiwan's free, democratic and peaceful future," the president said. "The Republic of China [ROC] is a sovereign and independent country whose sovereign right belongs to its 23 million Taiwanese people. Only the 23 million people of Taiwan have the right to make decisions on any changes to Taiwan's future, and ... this is the biggest consensus shared by the Taiwan public and the biggest common denominator agreed to by both the ruling and the opposition parties."

  Chen made the statements while receiving leaders of chapters of the Global Alliance for Democracy and Peace at the Presidential Office. The remarks marked Chen's first public comments on the Anti-Secession Law since it was enacted on Monday.

  "If the Chinese communist authorities really put their hope in the people of Taiwan as they like to claim, they should then listen to the voice of the Taiwanese majority, accept the ROC's existence and respect the Taiwanese people's free will," he said.

  Chen also repeated his call to people of Taiwan to take part in a March 26 demonstration against the law, saying that the "Taiwanese people must be united to have their voice heard."

  Chen did not elaborate on whether he would join the rally.

  Referring to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's (溫家寶) remarks at a press conference on Monday, during which he said Beijing will take measures to boost sales of farm produce from Taiwan to China, Chen, cautioned the public over China's carrot-and-stick approach.

  "In view of Communist China's usual two-faced maneuvers, as in the case of giving out small sweets after swinging a non-peaceful axe, Taiwanese people must not grow numbed [to such foul play,] and fall into such trickery," Chen said.

  Chen reiterated that his administration would continue to take a pragmatic approach of "reconciling but not flinching; standing firm yet avoiding confrontation" in cross-strait relations.

  "Only through dialogue can the two sides resolve their differences, and `non-peaceful' means would only widen the rift between the two sides," Chen said.

  "Any legislation permitting the use of force to invade the basic rights of other people, whatever the reasons or excuses are, is an insult to democracy ? violating the universal beliefs in freedom, democracy and human rights," he added.

  Chen also urged the EU not to lift its arms embargo on China to avoid "being an accomplice to an aggressor."
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