A Chinese mainland official yesterday slammed a recent
"constitution" draft proposed by Taiwan secessionists, aimed at
pushing towards Taiwan "independence".
"The so-called draft of the 'second republic constitution'
caters to Chen Shui-bian's scheme of 'de jure Taiwan independence'
and overtly writes in the secessionist assertion of 'one country on
each side'," Yang Yi, spokesman of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the
State Council, told a regular press conference yesterday.
Yang said the draft, which denies the fact that both the
mainland and Taiwan belong to one China, is aimed at splitting
China and the Chinese nation.
Taiwan University Professor Chen Ming-tong and other scholars
publicized a proposed draft of the "second republic constitution"
on March 18.
The draft puts the People's Republic of China alongside the
"Republic of China". It also advocates determining cross-Straits
political relations through a "referendum".
Yang said the proposed draft has been widely criticized within
Taiwan for attempting to deceive the Taiwan people and the
international community.
Mainland scholars have said that the "second republic
constitution" is one of the approaches to push 'Taiwan
independence' through constitutional reform.
"We are closely monitoring the situation," Yang said. "We will
never allow the Taiwan secessionist forces to separate Taiwan from
China in any name and by any means".
Asked to comment on Chen Shui-bian's recent remarks that Taiwan,
the Unites States and the Chinese mainland were all responsible for
peace and stability across the straits, Yang said the
responsibility lay with "compatriots across the straits".
(China Daily March 29, 2007)