Taiwan to vote on sovereignty
Reuters in Taipei
Monday December 1, 2003
The Guardian
The Taiwanese president, Chen Shui-bian, plans to hold a referendum on
the island's sovereignty alongside presidential elections in March.
Mr Chen faces a tough battle for re-election and analysts say the
referendum is partly aimed at provoking an angry reaction from China
to consolidate support at home.
MPs approved a bill on Thursday allowing referendums on constitutional
changes as well as a "defensive referendum" on sovereignty in the
event of an attack from China or other national security threat.
Lawmakers dropped a clause explicitly saying referendums can be held
on independence or on changing the island's name or flag, which China
vehemently opposed.
"Facing an external threat is a present tense for Taiwan, the
country's sovereignty may be altered any time," Mr Chen said, adding:
"If we wait until the communists attack, it will be too late."
Beijing, which sees Taiwan as a breakaway province, said after the
bill's passage that it was gravely concerned.
"It's a very risky move," said Hu Fo, a political science professor at
National Taiwan University. "It will provoke China, upset the US, and
make mainstream voters uneasy."
The Nationalist party presidential contender, Lien Chan, accused Mr
Chen of putting Taiwan's security at risk.
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