Edited for brevity.
Brushing aside a warning from George W. Bush, Taiwan’s president reiterated his plan to hold a referendum alongside elections next March, but said neither independence nor the status quo with China would be at issue. Chen Shui-bian, addressing a news conference on Wednesday after Bush delivered his surprise warning during a White House visit by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, did not say what the referendum would be about. But earlier he suggested it would pressure China to remove missiles aimed at the island, which Beijing sees as a breakaway province that must one day, even by force, be returned to the fold. "We want to show China and the world that military force cannot be used to solve the problem of the Taiwan Strait," Chen said after the Democratic Progressive Party officially confirmed him as its presidential candidate for the March 20 election. "Taiwan people have the right to say loudly that they oppose missiles and are for democracy, oppose war and are for peace," he said. "This is nothing to do with independence. There is no intention to change the status quo."
Chinese Premier Wen, who sat alongside Bush when he made his remarks at the White House on Tuesday, welcomed what amounted to a nuanced hardening of the usual line that the United States does "not support" independence moves by Taiwan. Taiwan’s supporters in the United States expressed concern, but the island’s financial markets took Bush’s comments mostly in their stride. The main stock index slipped less than one percent, mostly due to a fall on NASDAQ. The local dollar was firm.
Keep that flame burning, Chen! |