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PRESIDENT CHEN EXPOUNDS STANCE ON CROSS-STRAIT TIES, REFERENDUM

2004-01-19 00:10:25

    Taipei, Jan. 18 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian said Sunday opposition parties' boycott has hindered progress in relations across the Taiwan Strait in the past three years.

    Chen made the remarks in an interview with Hsiao Hsin-huang, a research fellow with Academia Sinica -- Taiwan's top research body. The 90-minute interview was broadcast on the Formosa Television channel.

    In the interview, Chen displayed a message that mainland Chinese authorities sent to him by an unidentified influential figure before his inauguration as the Republic of China's president in May 2000.

    According to the note, Beijing hoped that Chen would say in his inaugural speech that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait would deal with the future "one China" issue under the principles of parity and mutual respect.

    In response to this message, Chen said he indeed mentioned the future "one China" issue in his inaugural address.

    After assuming office, Chen said, he sincerely pushed for the establishment of a cross-party task force, with Academia Sinica President Lee Yuan-tseh as its convener, to handle cross-strait negotiations.

    Much to his regret, Chen said, opposition parties made every possible effort to boycott the operations of the task force simply because Lee supported him in the 2000 presidential election. "Cross-strait relations are extremely important and sensitive. Without a national consensus and unity, how could we have a chance to sit down to talk with the other side the Taiwan Strait on the future 'one China' issue?" Chen said.

    Nevertheless, Chen said even though his administration has suffered setbacks on achieving a breakthrough to cross-strait impasse and on many other fronts, such as judicial and parliamentary reforms over the past three years, he will continue pursuing reforms and seek breakthroughs in cross-strait ties in a pragmatic manner.

    Chen further said "one China" should be an issue for the two sides of the Taiwan Strait to negotiate and seek a mutually acceptable solution. "'One china' is a topic for negotiations, rather than a premise for negotiations," Chen stressed, adding that if Taiwan accepts Beijing's "one China" principle, it would be downgraded to a second Hong Kong or a local government under Beijing's jurisdiction.

    Chen urged Beijing to exercise flexibility and shelve the thorny "one China" issue so that the two sides can sit down to talk several practical issues for mutual benefits, such as direct shipping and air links and protection of legitimate rights and interests of Taiwan businessmen operating on the mainland.

    Chen also expounded the primary reasons behind his insistence on pushing for a referendum to coincide with the March 20 presidential election. "The first-ever referendum is part of our efforts to strengthen our democracy and pursue genuine security and permanent peace in the Taiwan Strait," Chen said, adding that only permanent peace in the Taiwan Strait can ensure that the people of Taiwan enjoys dignity, freedom, justice, prosperity and fine quality of life.

    In the interview, Chen also said his historic appearance in a hearing at the Hualien Prosecutor's Office Jan. 14 to serve as a witness in a probe into an alleged vote-buying case was aimed at highlighting the urgency of judicial reform.

    Chen said he didn't ask for any special privileges in the hearing because he wanted to respond to the summons as an ordinary citizen. Chen walked into the prosecutor's office without the escort of security guards as his privileges as the head of state couldn't reach inside in the prosecutor's office.

    Chen said he hopes his attendance at the hearing in his capacity as chairman of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party can set a model and thus help speed up judicial reform.

    Chen said he felt a bit of disappointment for the slow progress in judicial reform over the past three years. Even though the deadline set by the Council of Grand Justices has long expired, the Judicial Yuan organization bill still has not cleared the opposition-controlled Legislative Yuan.

(By Sofia Wu)

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