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US repeats call for no territorial tinkering by Chen

The Bush administration has once again called on President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) to avoid attempts to change Taiwan's Con-stitution in ways that touch on sovereignty issues.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack reiterated comments made on Tuesday by spokesman Tom Casey.

"We take seriously President Chen's repeated commitments not to permit the constitutional reform process to touch on Taiwan's status, including territorial definition," McCormack said.

"President Chen's fulfillment of his commitments will be a test of leadership, dependability and statesmanship," he said.

On Monday, the State Department criticized Chen for suggesting, in a weekend DPP seminar on constitutional reform, that it was time for the people of Taiwan to "seriously consider" whether the territorial definition of Taiwan in the current Constitution -- which includes the whole of China, Tibet and Mongolia -- should be restated to reflect the current reality.

On Wednesday, China blasted Chen for what it said was an attempt to achieve independence through constitutional reform.

Overlaying Washington's concern about Chen's remarks is the meeting between US President George W. Bush and Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) in November at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Hanoi, according to sources in Washington.

The sources said that the Bush administration does not want Taiwan issues to impinge on the meeting, in which the two leaders will discuss a range of critical issues, including ways to head off North Korean and Iranian nuclear weapons development.

The US is concerned that Chen's rhetoric could lessen China's willingness to work with Washington until Bush takes firm action against Chen.

So far, the Bush administration is not known to have sent any emissary to talk to Chen about the constitutional issue, unlike the trip by National Security Council Asia chief Dennis Wilder in the spring, when Chen mothballed the National Unification Council and guidelines.

Meanwhile, China's embassy in Washington is also believed to have made representations to the State Department over the Constitution issue.
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