You have commented 375 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
China-Japan-Koreas
China fury at Chen's Taiwan call
2007-03-06
China has hit out at Taiwan's President Chen Shui-bian after he made a strongly pro-independence speech on Sunday. Mr Chen said Taiwan should pursue independence, write a new constitution and change its official name from "Republic of China" to Taiwan.

China's Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing said anyone wanting to split Taiwan from the mainland was a "criminal".

Mr Chen, in a speech to a pro-independence group on Sunday, said: "Taiwan should be independent". "Taiwan is a country whose sovereignty lies outside the People's Republic of China," he added, referring to China by its formal name. He spoke of a "four wants" policy - namely independence, a new constitution, further development and a change to the country's officially designated name.

Since taking office, President Chen has sought to emphasise the island's separate identity, the BBC's Caroline Gluck in Taipei says. But his latest comments are his strongest since taking office and raise new worries of increased tensions with China as well as Taiwan's main ally, the US, our correspondent adds. Those fears contributed to falls on Taiwan's stock market on Monday and a weakening of the Taiwan dollar against the US dollar.

Opposition leaders accused him of being irresponsible and putting Taiwan at risk of a possible war with China.

In response to Mr Chen's comments, China's Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing told Taiwanese reporters in Beijing: "Don't listen to local leaders". "Whoever wants to split away will become a criminal in history".
Posted by:Steve White

#4  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: rjschwarz   2007-03-06 14:54  

#3  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: newc   2007-03-06 09:12  

#2  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: Anonymoose   2007-03-06 08:23  

#1  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2007-03-06 00:20  

00:01