China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful national reunification (CCPPR) in Washington D.C. on Monday lashed out at Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian for the "Taiwan independence" remarks he made on Sunday, saying it was his another attempt to destroy stability across the Taiwan Strait.

Chen said at a gathering on Sunday that he wanted independence, a new constitution, development, and new names for local firms that use the word "China" in their title.

It is obviously that Chen denies again his "four noes" pledge with a "four wants" policy, Washington CCPPR said in a statement.

The statement pointed out that from promoting "de-sinicization" and seeking "de jure independence" to speaking out that he wanted independence, Chen was moving faster in his apparent push for secession, adding that it was his attempt to destroy stability across the Taiwan Strait and threaten peace in the Asian-Pacific region and the world at large.

As he took office in 2000, Chen pledged to adhere to "four noes," namely, no declaration of Taiwan independence, no incorporation of the "two states" remarks into the constitution, no change of the province's name and no referendum on "Taiwan independence."

Chen's remarks came closely after the United State sold more than 400 missiles worth 421 million U.S. dollars to Taiwan, the statement stressed, adding that the U.S. sale of weapons has sent a wrong signal to Taiwan separatists.

Overseas Chinese living in the U.S. firmly oppose all forms of secessionist activities and U.S. sales of weapons to Taiwan which would aggravate opposition across the strait, ruin peace and stability in the Asian-Pacific region and violate U.S. government's consistent adherence to the one-China policy, the statement said.

In response to Chen's remarks, the U.S. State Department reiterated on Monday that the United States "does not support independence for Taiwan."

"President Bush has repeatedly underscored his opposition to unilateral changes to the status quo by either Taipei or Beijing because these threaten regional peace and stability, U.S. national interests and Taiwan's own welfare," said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack in a daily press briefing.

After Chen made the pro-independence remarks, share prices on the Taiwan Stock Exchange plunged on Monday, with the weighted index, the market's key barometer, moving down 285.59 points to close at 7,344.56.

Source: Xinhua