http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A33076-2004Mar29.html
(這個連結將在十四天以後失效)
Taiwan's President Maintains Hard Line
Chen Rebukes China in Interview
By Philip P. Pan and David E. Hoffman
Washington Post Foreign Service
Tuesday, March 30, 2004; Page A01
TAIPEI, Taiwan, March 29 -- President Chen Shui-bian declared Monday that
his narrow reelection victory was a mandate from voters to press ahead with
an aggressive agenda to develop Taiwan as an "independent, sovereign
country" despite the risk of war with China.
In his first interview since an attempt on his life and an election his
opponents are contesting, Chen vowed to go forward with plans to write a new
constitution for Taiwan within two years, a move China has said could compel
it to seize the island by force. He also condemned the Chinese government for
blocking popular demands for democratic reform in Hong Kong, saying its
actions have made the Taiwanese people even more determined to reject
unification on Beijing's terms.
"The fundamental reason I won this presidential election . . . is because
there is a rising Taiwan identity and it has been solidified," Chen said. "I
think the Beijing authorities should take heed of this fact and accept the
reality."
"I think we have reached an internal consensus that insists on Taiwan being
an independent, sovereign country," he added.
Chen's defiant remarks, delivered little more than a week after he was shot
in the abdomen and suffered a flesh wound while waving at supporters from his
motorcade, signaled an intent to carry his campaign's tough line toward China
into a second term despite the deep divide his approach has created in
Taiwanese society and the unease it has caused in the Bush administration.
The United States has pledged to help Taiwan defend itself against a Chinese
attack, but officials have expressed concern that Chen's plan to draft a new
constitution might draw U.S. forces into a military confrontation with China.
The Chinese government claims sovereignty over Taiwan and has threatened to
seize it if it formally declares independence. It has said a new constitution
could amount to such a declaration.
But Chen said the new constitution had nothing to do with Taiwan's
independence. Instead, he said, it aims to deepen democratic reform and
improve governance by lowering the voting age, adding new human rights
guarantees, reducing the size of the legislature and settling other disputes
that have left the island's government gridlocked. He also offered to hold
talks with China without any preconditions.
Chen, who appeared relaxed and confident during a one-hour interview inside
the presidential palace, also denied unsubstantiated charges by his opponents
that he engaged in election fraud and staged the shooting the day before the
March 20 election to win sympathy from voters. He defeated his opponent,
Nationalist Party leader Lien Chan, by a margin of less than 30,000 votes, or
0.2 percent, of the 13 million ballots cast.
Chen expressed sympathy for his opponents but urged them to accept the will
of the people. "Even if you just win by one vote, you still win. And even if
you lose by one vote, you still lose, and everybody must accept such a
result," he said.
He also said the shooting has made him more determined. "For me personally,
I have just completed the last election of my lifetime. The day before the
election, I also trod the fine line of death. And that had a great impact on
my life philosophy and my attitude toward my political career," he said. "I
will not be knocked down or defeated so easily."
After a week of protests, Chen agreed Saturday to Lien's demands to set up a
special task force to investigate the shooting and allow the courts to
conduct an island-wide recount. A team of international experts has joined
the shooting probe, which has identified no suspects; the recount could begin
this week.
Chen acknowledged that he was reelected by a small margin and that his
referendum proposals on relations with China -- which asked voters about
strengthening Taiwan's military and opening talks with the mainland -- failed.
But the 54-year-old lawyer noted that he won the support of 1.5 million more
voters than in 2000, when he was elected with only 39 percent of the vote. He
attributed the increase in his support to 50.1 percent to a growing sense
among Taiwanese that they are citizens of a new, independent nation separate
from China.
Chen's comments came days after Beijing issued an unusually strong warning
that it would not tolerate turmoil in Taiwan and announced plans to issue a
legal ruling as early as Friday that could quash growing demands in Hong Kong
for direct elections to choose the territory's leaders. By speaking out at
such a sensitive moment and drawing a link between Taiwan's future and China's
approach in Hong Kong, Chen raised the stakes for those in the Communist Party
leadership who want to stifle the pro-democracy movement in the territory.
"In Taiwan, we have full democracy, and our freedom and democracy are fully
protected," he said. "We do not wish to return to the era of authoritarianism.
We don't want our freedoms to be restricted or taken away. . . .
CONTINUED
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