Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

KMT OPPOSES BEIJING USE OF FORCE AGAINST TAIWAN: PARTY CHAIRMAN

ROC Central News Agency

2005-03-09 17:28:24

    Taipei, March 9 (CNA) The opposition Kuomintang (KMT) strongly opposes Beijing's use of force against Taiwan and will do its utmost to secure the welfare of the Taiwan people by upholding the Republic of China Constitution, KMT spokesman Cheng Lee-wen said Wednesday.

    Cheng was quoting remarks made by KMT Chairman Lien Chan in the weekly meeting of the party's policy-deciding Central Standing Committee.

    According to Cheng, Lien said that the KMT is opposed to Beijing's threats to launch military action to resolve its disputes with Taiwan and he claimed that Taiwan independence is unnecessary. Lien vowed to protect the benefits and interests of the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait under the framework of the Constitution.

    Regarding Beijing's ongoing legislation of an anti-secession law apparently aimed at curbing Taiwan independence, Lien was cited as saying that pro-Taiwan independence activists represent only a small number of people in Taiwan society.

    The Taiwan-centric concept is very important but it is not tantamount to Taiwan independence, Lien said, urging Beijing to adequately deal with the ROC and its people.

    To safeguard Taiwan, the KMT will not yield to any pro-Taiwan independence movements, such as "one country on either side of the strait, " the "two-state theory, " "writing a new constitution" or "holding a referendum on Taiwan's future" and the "one country, two systems" formula, he noted, insisting that the ROC is an independent and sovereign state.

    Under the prerequisite that the cross-strait status quo remains intact, the KMT fervently hopes that Taiwan and China will re-open stalled negotiations as soon as possible to step up bilateral exchanges and avoid confrontation in any form, he said.

    The KMT is Taiwan's leading opposition party, controlling 79 seats in the 225-member Legislative Yuan, behind only the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, which has 89 seats.

(By Flor Wang)

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