Taiwan president insists island and China different countries

Sep 28, 2006, 15:07 GMT

Taipei - Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian Thursday insisted that the island and its long-time political rival China are two different countries, despite warnings from Washington and Beijing.

'Taiwan is Taiwan, and China is China,' said Chen as he addressed a ceremony in Taipei that marked the 20th anniversary of the independence-leaning, ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

'Taiwan and China are two entirely different countries,' Chen said, defying warnings from the United States and China that the rhetoric could escalate tension across the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan and China split at the end of a civil war in 1949, but Beijing considers the island an integral part of the mainland and warns that it will attack the island if it officially breaks away from the mainland.

Chen said the current constitution is 'seriously disconnected with the status quo in Taiwan,' and it has been proven in the past six years since he became president in 2000 that such a constitution cannot function 'normally.'

'We can longer deceive ourselves. We need a new constitution that fits the time and needs of the country,' he said, echoing his previous call during a DPP constitutional study seminar over the weekend that Taiwan should overhaul its constitution.

The current constitution was brought to Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China, by former Nationalist or Kuomintang (KMT) government, which used to rule the mainland before it was defeated by the Chinese communists and fled to the island at the end of the civil war in 1949.

In addition to pushing for a new constitution, Chen reiterated that the island must seek to join the UN under the name 'Taiwan' that he said can best reflect the political reality of the island.

Taipei has failed in the past 14 years to gain accession to the UN, which ousted the island to admit Beijing in 1971.

Observers said Chen's remarks are certain to anger Beijing, which has repeatedly warned that any pro-independence moves by Taipei would lead to war. Wary of the Beijing's warning, Washington, an informal ally of Taipei, has asked Chen to observe his previous pledge that he would not try to do anything to change the cross-strait status quo.