• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

'FOUR WANTS' MAY IMPACT U.S.-TAIWAN-CHINA RELATIONS: SPEAKER

ROC Central News Agency

2007-03-05 12:37:08

    Taipei, March 5 (CNA) Legislative Yuan Speaker Wang Jin-pyng said Monday that the new "four wants and one without" doctrine on Taiwan's status spelled out by President Chen Shui-bian the day before may further strain the already tense cross-strait relations.

    The new doctrine -- namely Taiwan wants independence, a new constitution, further development, and a change to the country's official designation, and there is no polarization of Taiwan into right and left wings -- may also have an impact on Taiwan's relations with the United States, Wang said during a brief interview with news media at the Legislative Yuan.

    Wang said that he has no idea why the president put forth the new doctrine but that he is sure the remarks will send a new ripple of uncertainty through the domestic political arena as well as the triangular U.S.-Taiwan-China relations.

    Chen made the remarks while making an address at a dinner party held in Taipei Sunday to celebrate the 25th founding anniversary of the Washington-based Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA) , a non-profit organization promoting Taiwan's cause.

    Chen claimed that Taiwan is a sovereign state independent of China and that independence is a common goal of the Taiwan people. He said 'Taiwan' is the best name to be used in the country's bid to join the United Nations and other international organizations. He further said that in order to become a normal and complete state, Taiwan needs a new constitution that suits the country.

    Chen also explained that there is no problem of leftist or rightist policy lines but only a problem of national identity and the question of whether to unify with China or secure Taiwan's formal independence.

    In his 2000 inaugural address, Chen made his "five noes" pledge, namely that as long as Beijing has no intention of using military force against Taiwan, he will not declare independence, not change Taiwan's name, not add the state-to-state theory to the Constitution, not promote a referendum on the independence versus unification issue, and not abolish the National Unification Guidelines and the National Unification Council.

(By Deborah Kuo)

ENDITEM/Li