Taiwan's plans for referendum, new constitution may trigger resolute moves from mainland: experts

Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian's plans to push for a referendum and cook up a new "constitution" may unilaterally change the status quo of cross-Straits and thus constitute major incidents of "Taiwan independence", which the mainland vowes to stop through any possible resolute means, including military ones, Taiwan experts said Wednesday.

Li Yihu, a professor with Beijing University, said the Chinese government announced in its 2000 white paper on Taiwan that it would take all possible resolute measures, including military ones,to safeguard the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity and complete the great cause of reunification should a major incident occur in any name that caused Taiwan's separation from China.

The professor made the remarks in response to a question on thedefinition of major incidents of "Taiwan independence" at a press conference organized by the Information Office of the State Council, China's central government.

Zhu Xianlong, vice-president of the Taiwan Studies Institute of Beijing Union University, said Taiwan's plan to hold a referendum on writing a new constitution was designed to create a legal basis for "Taiwan independence" or seek independence througha referendum, which are totally unacceptable to the mainland.

The major incidents refers to a formal declaration of "Taiwan independence" by Taiwan authorities, or declaration of establishing "the Republic of Taiwan", or "disguised Taiwan Independence" in other names.

The Office for Taiwan Affairs under the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council were authorized to issue a statement on May 17 on issues concerning cross-Straits relations, in which Taiwan's leaders were warned not to provoke major incidents of "Taiwan independence".

Zhu Weidong, assistant director of the Taiwan Studies Institute under the Chinese Academy of Social Science, said the issuance of the statement is a responsible move by the Chinese government to prevent possible emergence of a crisis in the Taiwan Straits.

On the "status quo of cross-Straits relations", Xu Shiquan, vice-president of National Society of Taiwan Studies, said both the constitution and "laws" pertaining to the mainland and Taiwan stipulate that Taiwan and the mainland belong to one and the same China, which is the status quo.

The status quo has also been recognized by the international community as the Cairo Declaration, Potsdam Proclamation, Resolution 2758 of the United Nations General Assembly accept that there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is part of China.

The Cairo Declaration was signed by leaders of three allied nations, China, the United States and Britain, on Dec. 1, 1943, demanding that all the territories Japan had occupied from China, such as the northeastern parts of China, Taiwan and the Penghu Islands, be returned to China.