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London, Oct. 6 (CNA) The recent resignation of Tang Fei from the Republic of China's premiership highlights Beijing's impotence in dealing with Taiwan-related affairs, according to The Economist magazine.

The London-based weekly said although Tang's departure from Taiwan's political scene may bring Beijing some anxiety, the event is not expected to have an immediate impact on relations across the Taiwan Strait.

Nevertheless, the weekly said, Tang's surprise resignation earlier this week seems to have made mainland Chinese leaders better understand their impotence concerning Taiwan-related affairs.

According to The Economist, mainland Chinese President Jiang Zemin said at a Beidaihe policy review meeting in August that he felt frustrated with the ineffectiveness of mainland China's policy strategy toward Taiwan over the past decade.

The weekly further said Beijing leaders seem to have come to terms with the cold reality that mainland China's military muscle will not be strong enough to swallow Taiwan in the next few years and that during this period mainland China can only endeavor to deepen trade and economic relations with Taiwan to prevent the island from drifting further away.

Tang, a four-star general-turned-politician and a senior member of the long-ruling Kuomintang, had helped stabilize Taiwan's domestic political situation and cross-strait relations following the island's first-ever transition of administrative power from the KMT to the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party in May.

The Economist said Tang's resignation indicates that President Chen Shui-bian's drive to run "a government of all people" has failed. As the ROC constitution has not clearly defined the powers of the president, the premier and the parliament, the British weekly predicted that Tang's abrupt departure will bring Taiwan a period of "political uncertainty."

The weekly also said the KMT will very likely try to block the DPP government's economic reforms and even boycott its budgetary plan to undermine President Chen's credibility. (By Mark Ou and Sofia Wu)