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BEIJING `TWISTING' TAIWAN'S REFERENDUM PLAN: DPP OFFICIAL

2003-12-10 18:20:08

    Taipei, Dec. 10 (CNA) Taiwan cannot accept Beijing's "twisted rhetoric" about its plan to hold a referendum, and the Taiwan people will continue to display their determination to pursue peace through democratic practices, an official of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said Wednesday.

    Hsiao Bi-khim, head of the DPP's international relations department, made the comment at a news conference held at the party's headquarters on mainland Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's remarks that Beijing opposes Taiwan's holding of a referendum on the same day of next year's presidential election.

    Stressing that President Chen Shui-bian's plan to hold a "defensive referendum" is only aimed at strengthening the country's democratization, Hsiao said Beijing's "distorted interpretation" of the plan has led the international community to believe that Taiwan means to change its status quo through referendum.

    The government's plan to hold a referendum on March 20, 2004 -- the next presidential election day -- is designed only to maintain Taiwan's current status and protect its sovereignty and the existing situation in the Taiwan Strait, she said, arguing that it has noting to do with the unification-independence issue and will not violate the "four noes plus one" policy outlined by Chen in his May 2000 inaugural speech.

    The international community should not view Beijing's deployment of missiles aimed at Taiwan as a normal development and it must not see Taiwan's concern over the military threat from mainland China as provocative, she said, adding that the DPP will do its utmost to explain to international society the resolve of the Taiwan people for peace.

    It is a basic right of the Taiwan people to hold a public vote to demonstrate their determination to pursue peace in the Taiwan Strait, which Hsiao said is also a universally recognized value.

    The "four noes plus one" policy refers to no declaration of Taiwan independence, no change of Taiwan's official title, no description of the "state-to-state" theory in the Constitution, no referendum to change the status quo in regards to the question of independence or unification, and no abolition of the National Reunification Council.

(By Flor Wang)

ENDITEM/J