Press Center
President Chen says referendum unavoidable
July 30, 2003
President Chen Shui-bian told Christopher DeMuth, head of the American
Enterprise Institute, and James Lilley, former U.S. ambassador, that
the right of citizens to hold plebiscites is a universal value, a fundamental
human right, and a concrete expression of the people's sovereignty.
In a meeting with his two guests at the Presidential Office in Taipei July 25, President Chen also insisted that he would abide by the "four noes and one without" pledge that he made in his inaugural address on May 20, 2000 but added that holding a referendum on or before the next presidential election on March 20, 2004 was unavoidable.
The question of whether Taiwan should declare independence or seek unification with the People's Republic of China (PRC), he said, would not be on the referendum. But it was only natural, he added, to allow the public to vote on whether or not to proceed with the construction of Taiwan's fourth nuclear power plan or other public policy issues directly affecting the lives of the people.
President Chen said it was obvious that China's so-called "one China" principle was the main sticking point preventing any breakthrough in cross-strait relations, and he added that Taiwan cannot accept the "one China" principle. We hope to promote the normalization of cross-strait relations under the principles of democracy, equality, and peace, the president said, but if the PRC authorities cannot abide by those principles, then progress will be difficult.
President Chen said, "We are willing to have contact, conversation, and consultations with the Chinese mainland-including on the issue of direct cross-strait aviation and shipping links-but during the consultation process, the PRC should not set preconditions, or minimize, localize, or marginalize Taiwan."
President Chen added that the PRC's "one China" principle differed from the United States version of "one China." The PRC's version, he said, entails peaceful unification and "one country, two systems." The U.S. version calls for a peaceful resolution but not peaceful unification, emphasizing process rather than a predetermined outcome.
