Beijing Official Accuses Taiwan Leader of Separatism
By ERIK ECKHOLM
EIJING, Sept. 5 -- A Chinese spokesman today attacked Taiwan's president, Chen Shui-bian, for remarks suggesting that his island's unification with China was not inevitable, calling them "very dangerous."
China's patience with Mr. Chen since he took office in May is beginning to wear thin, Zhang Mingqing, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said in a news conference.
"Viewing his first 100 days, we think he is not moving toward accepting the one-China principle and is instead moving in the direction of Taiwan separatism," Mr. Zhang said.
But Mr. Zhang did not indicate that Beijing was taking any new steps to threaten Taiwan, which it considers a part of a single China that was separated by civil war and must someday return.
China was deeply concerned about Mr. Chen's election because his Democratic Progressive Party has long advocated Taiwan's formal independence.
But before and after his election last year, Mr. Chen eased tensions by making it clear that he would not declare independence unless Beijing attacked Taiwan.
Since he took office, Mr. Chen has sought to differentiate his position as national leader, from that of his party, and, in a gesture of friendship toward Beijing has offered to discuss closer economic ties.
The Chinese Government is continuing discussions with the Democratic Progressive Party, and today the spokesman in Beijing said: "We will not have any contact with the DPP until it revises its pro-independence platform."
In an interview last week, Mr. Chen said that a majority of Taiwan's 23 million people do not support unification under the "one-country, two systems" formula for autonomy that China has offered. He also rejected the policy of the long-ruling Nationalist Party that the unity of Taiwan and the mainland was "the only possible conclusion for Taiwan's future."
Mr. Zhang said today that Mr. Chen's remarks were "very dangerous and cannot but incite alarm among all Chinese people, including Taiwan compatriots."
But Taiwan's official spokesperson, Chung Chin, dismissed today's warnings, saying, "The situation is definitely not as disappointing" as Beijing has described. Mr. Chen's Government hopes to coax China into talks on economic and other practical issues without agreeing first on the overall goal of re-uniting, and the two sides still appear to be warily testing each other.
