Taiwan’s President-Elect Won’t Bow to ‘One China’ Demand
President-elect Chen Shui-bian has rejected Beijing’s demand that he embrace its “one China” policy or face disaster, saying the island has been forced into a corner and needed room to breathe.
“Our profile has been very low to improve relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait,” Chen told supporters in the northern county of Hsinchu late Thursday.
“But the opposite side of the strait has been tough,” he said. “We have been forced into a corner and are not allowed to breathe. We will die if we don’t breathe.”
Chen’s remarks--some of his strongest on China since his election last month--came hours after Tang Shubei, one of Beijing’s negotiators, turned up the heat.
Tang said disaster and confrontation were in store if Taiwan, which Beijing regards as a renegade province, rejected the “one China” policy.
Chen said the “one China” ideal could be the agenda of future dialogue but not a precondition.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
