Taiwan?leader Chen Shui-bian's latest remark that he might
scrap a key policy body on China's reunification "is against the
will of the people across the Taiwan Straits," a renowned mainland
expert said in Beijing yesterday.
"It shows Chen is taking an important move towards implementing
the policy he delivered on his New Year's Day speech, which
features nothing but active guidelines towards Taiwan
'independence'," said Yu Keli, director of the Institute of Taiwan
Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
He said such a move runs against the people's wishes on
promoting cross-Straits relations and safeguarding peace and
stability.
Given the profound change in the political geography on the
island since last year, "Chen's attempt to seek Taiwan
'independence' would never win support from the people on the
island, nor would he succeed," Yu said.
On Sunday, also the first day of the
Lunar New Year, Chen told a rally it was time to consider
scrapping the island's National Unification Council and its
guidelines on reunification.
The two other goals he listed include drafting a new
constitution and entering the United Nations with the name of
Taiwan.
Set up in 1991, the council was formerly the island's top
policy-making body on crucial questions of reunification.
It adopted the council guidelines the same year to pursue
reunification with the mainland.
By trying to scrap the council and the guidelines, Chen is
actually seeking to reverse the trend of history and has violated
his earlier "four-nos-plus-one-without" commitments, Yu said.
In his 2000 inauguration speech, Chen pledged "he would not
declare 'independence,' not change the name of the island, not
constitutionalize the description of Taiwan's relationship with the
mainland as 'state-to-state,' and not push for a referendum on
'independence'."
The "one without" was Chen's pledge without question not to
abolish the National Unification Council or the National
Unification Guidelines.
"The mainland will oppose strongly Chen's move, which tries to
reverse historical trend. The international community would not
support him because he is creating tension in cross-Straits
relations," Yu said.
Chen's Lunar New Year speech also drew strong criticism on the
island.
The chairman of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT), Ma Ying-jeou,
said that Chen's credibility would be questioned now that he
decided to scrap the council and guidelines.
KMT spokesman Chang Yung-kung also said Chen's move signals a
start towards Taiwan "independence."
In response to Chen's remarks, the United States reiterated on
Monday that its policy on Taiwan had not changed.
"The United States does not support Taiwan 'independence' and
opposes unilateral changes to the status quo by either Taiwan or
Beijing," the US State Department said in a statement.
(China Daily February 1, 2006)