Taiwan's President calls for peace talks with China

Taiwan's President calls for peace talks with China

Primastuti Handayani, The Jakarta Post/Taipei

In a careful and conciliatory move, Taiwan's President Chen Shui-
bian called for wide-ranging peace talks with China in a bid to
adopt a system to prevent an outbreak of war in the Taiwan Strait.

"Today I suggest the two sides use the 1992 talks in Hong Kong
to prepare for a reopening of dialog," Chen said during a massive
rally held in front of the Presidential Palace in Taipei.

The rally, which was attended by over 100,000 people, was
organized on Sunday to celebrate Taiwan's National Day (Double
Tenth Day).

In Hong Kong in October, 1992, Taipei and Beijing reached a
compromise on Beijing's one-China policy.

Those talks paved the way for Taiwan and China to hold their
first dialog in Singapore in 1993 in an effort to solve cross-
strait disputes. China halted the talks in 1995 after Taiwan had
abandoned the 1992 consensus and declared itself as a country.

China considers Taiwan as a renegade province

"The Republic of China and the People's Republic of China --
or Taiwan and China -- can seek to establish political relations
in any form whatsoever," he said in his speech.

"We would not exclude any possibility, so long as there is the
consent of the 23 million people of Taiwan," Chen said.

Chen also pointed out the threat of military force from
mainland China that created "shadows of terror and forces of
darkness" across the Taiwan Strait.

"At present, there are more than 600 ballistic missiles
targeting Taiwan, and the numbers grow by 50 to 75 missiles each
year. It's a serious threat that neither Taiwan nor the
international community can afford to look on idly," he said.

"Therefore, I propose that both sides should seriously
consider the issue of arms control and take concrete action to
reduce tension and military threats across the strait," Chen
announced.

Chen also urged the United Nations to allow Taiwan in to the
world body.

Chen said that the UN, which celebrates its 60th anniversary
this year, should embrace the 23 million Taiwanese people.

"At a time when expectations for the reform and consolidation
of the UN system rise high in the international community, and a
sense of urgency is felt for expanding international
participation, it is most unfortunate and unfair that the UN
continues to exclude the people of Taiwan," the president said.

The National Day celebration was marked by school children
performing taekwondo, a martial art that originated in Korea. Two
Taiwanese athletes won gold medals for the first time in the
Olympic Games held in Athens in August.

Addressing them as "national heroes", Chen reminded Taiwanese
that the Olympic victories were bittersweet as both taekwondo
athletes were banned from singing their national anthem or
saluting the national flag.

The Oct. 10 National Day marks the founding of the Republic of
China after the Qing dynasty fell in 1911. The government of the
republic, the Nationalist Party, fled to Taiwan after losing a
civil war in the 1940s.