Taiwan Official Seeks to Recast Chen’s Stance

A senior Taiwanese official in charge of cross-strait policy sought to calm the waters Thursday after a controversial suggestion by President Chen Shui-bian that Taiwan consider scrapping guidelines on eventual unification with rival China.

Since they split in 1949, the two adversaries have watched each other warily across the narrow strip of sea that separates them, and even small wording changes are carefully parsed and debated by experts on both sides.

At a Thursday news conference in Taipei, the Taiwanese capital, the official said that any decision on the guidelines and on the fate of a unification council charged with mapping out the process was still a long way off. “Discussions about the guidelines are at an early phase, so there is no immediate problem,” said Joseph Wu, chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council, which oversees relations with Beijing.

The guidelines and the formation of a National Unification Council, adopted in 1991 during former President Lee Teng-hui’s first term, are of little immediate use given the slight chance of unification in the foreseeable future. Among other things, they take as a starting point the premise that Beijing will renounce communism and embrace democracy.

Chen’s suggestion, made during a luncheon speech Sunday in which he said he would “seriously consider” abolishing guidelines on unification with China and the council that created them, underscores the harder line he has staked out toward China since the beginning of the year.

Furthermore, the fact that the statement was made without apparent consultation with Washington, or some members of his own government, does little to reverse Chen’s reputation in some circles as a loose cannon.

Chen also suggested in his speech that the island reapply to join the United Nations under the name “Taiwan” rather than its official “Republic of China” title, and he called for a new draft constitution this year.

Beijing, focused on the Iran nuclear dispute and this week’s Chinese New Year celebration, had no immediate reaction to Chen’s comments. But surprised U.S. officials were quick to restate Washington’s official long-standing opposition to Taiwanese independence or to any change in the status quo across the Taiwan Strait, in an apparent effort to avoid trouble.

“We’re issuing this in the wake of some comments by President Chen in Taiwan that we don’t want to be inflammatory or send the wrong signal, so we thought it useful to reiterate U.S. policy on the subject,” State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said Monday.

Chen’s remarks are at odds with a pledge he made during his 2000 inauguration, repeated after his 2004 reelection, that he would not abolish the unification council or the guidelines nor seek formal independence.

The Guidelines for National Unification state that China’s unification be achieved in three parts: a short-term period of exchanges and reciprocity, a medium-term period of mutual trust and cooperation, and longer-term consultations toward full unification.

Ma Ying-jeou, leader of the opposition Nationalist Party and a likely 2008 presidential contender, criticized Chen on Thursday for his statement. The Nationalists favor a more accommodating policy toward Beijing and eventual unification.

“Before making a proposal, [Chen] should first understand the U.S. reaction and even gauge China’s reaction,” Ma said.

Though Chen’s comments appeared to come out of the blue, the government has been discussing the guidelines and National Unification Council quietly for some time, said an official familiar with cross-strait issues, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.

Chen is increasingly convinced that China’s military buildup and its 700-plus missiles pointed at Taiwan represent a de facto erosion of the status quo, prompting his call to reconsider the unification council’s existence. Furthermore, the official said, politicians across the Taiwanese political spectrum agree that the council is meaningless.

Analysts said Chen wanted to appear decisive during the last two years of his presidency, whether or not his suggestions are popular. He is barred by law from seeking another term.

“Chen is very determined not to become a lame duck,” said Shelley Rigger, a political science professor at Davidson College in North Carolina.

“He doesn’t want to lose the initiative.”

Others defended Chen’s tougher stance toward China.

“I am horrified that the [Bush] administration beats up on Taiwan while completely, blithely, naively ignoring Beijing’s breathtaking provocations,” said John J. Tkacik Jr., a fellow with the conservative Heritage Foundation.

Times staff writer Magnier reported from Beijing and special correspondent Tsai from Taipei.