China hopes to use the US-led war on terrorism to advance plans to take over Taiwan, but Washington has pledged it won't sacrifice the nation for Beijing's backing, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) said yesterday.
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, US-China relations have been warming as Washington seeks Beijing's support in battling terrorists. There has been much speculation that the US -- Taiwan's most important friend -- might be tempted to reward China for its assistance by being less friendly to Taiwan.
Chen said in an interview yesterday that he hopes the US and China will be partners in the battle against terrorists.
"We view such cooperation as necessary, and we have no objections," Chen said.
But Chen said that he believes Beijing hopes to link the Taiwan issue with the US-led anti-terrorist campaign -- a scheme he that said the US opposes.
"We are comforted to know that the US has taken a very clear position" on the issue, said Chen, adding that US Secretary of State Colin Powell and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice have recently said US support for Taiwan will not change.
"The interests of Taiwan will not be sacrificed," Chen said.
The US has long been Taiwan's most likely defender should China ever attack. US-China relations are closely monitored for any signs the US is developing a bias for China.
During the past year, some Chinese leaders have displayed new confidence that Taiwan's economic woes and domestic political feuding have weakened the nation, giving Beijing a new edge in its push for unification.
But Chen said that the communist leadership doesn't understand the nation's democracy and the Taiwanese -- courageous people who have overcome incredible hardship and limitations.
"We are still sitting here surviving, and we do firmly believe and we have the confidence that time is on our side," Chen said.
Chen said Taiwan was like a "sweet potato" -- a popular symbol used by Taiwanese because the oblong island is shaped like a yam. The story goes that as long as the center of the sweet potato is not rotten and remains warm, it will sprout as soon as it hits the ground, Chen said.
"Our hearts are warm and our hearts are not rotten, and we will survive and prosper," Chen said.
Since Chen was elected last year, he has struggled to win support for new policies in the legislature, controlled by the opposition KMT. But Chen was optimistic that after the Dec. 1 legislative elections, his DPP would become the legislature's biggest party. He also repeated a pledge to form a coalition government.
"As the DPP becomes the largest party in the legislature, we will still form a majority coalition to stabilize the political situation and enable further government reform," Chen said.
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