Saying that barking dogs won't bite, former President Lee Teng-hui (
Lee responded to the statement issued by China's Taiwan Affairs Office just days before President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) is to be sworn in for a new four-year term.
In response to reporters' questions about what Taiwan's proper response should be to China's threat, Lee said: " Just keep quiet."
"Do you mean to ignore China's words?" one reporter asked.
"Just be quiet. Even if President Chen intends to respond, he should study the statement quietly," Lee said.
Presidential Office Spokesman James Huang (
Taiwan's leaders must choose between recognizing their country as part of China or "following their separatist agenda to cut Taiwan from the rest of China and, in the end, meet their own destruction by playing with fire," the Taiwan Affairs Office of China's State Council said in the statement.
The Presidential Office said yesterday that Chen will formally respond to Beijing's statement in his inauguration speech on Thursday.
A senior presidential office official familiar with cross-strait affairs, speaking on condition of anonymity, said yesterday the government will continue pursuing peace with China, but warned that cross-strait tensions could spin out of control due to China's military buildup.
The official pledged to work on practical cross-strait policies leading to peace.
The official, who is a key channel in Chen's communication with the US, said that although Taiwan, the US and China have different views about cross-strait affairs, the statement issued early yesterday morning placed considerable emphasis on settling disputes by peaceful means.
According to China's statement, resolving the issue peacefully was "the most pressing task" for both sides. The statement nevertheless lashed out at Chen for violating his "five noes" promises, "mustering all separatist forces to drive for Taiwan's independence" and bringing cross-strait relations "to the brink of danger."
China "will never tolerate Taiwan's independence" and insists dialogue is possible only if Taiwan accepts the "one China" principle, according to the statement.
The "one China" principle is a "central and tricky" issue, the presidential office official said.
"Taiwan and China have never been able to achieve consensus on this issue, chiefly because China cannot accept our status quo. It is very difficult to find a solution to this problem," the official said.
Solving the dilemma might take years, "but it does not mean all cross-strait affairs will have to stay where they are before the solution is hammered out," he said.
Taiwan and China should try to establish a framework for interaction in the interim period until a solution is found. However, the escalation of China's military power will make it increasingly difficult for both sides to keep interactions under control, the official said.
A lawmaker expected to join the government's decision-making body on cross-strait affairs, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said inventing "creatively ambiguous" definitions of the "one China" principle could help smooth out hurdles created by Beijing's Taiwan policy.
The Taiwan Affairs Office statement contains seven guidelines regarding cross-strait interactions, which local reporters labelled Chinese President Hu Jiantao's (胡錦濤) "seven points," as opposed to former Chinese president Jiang Zemin's (江澤民) declaration of "Jiang's eight points" on Taiwan nine years ago.
"If you look closely at the opening paragraphs of the Taiwan Affairs Office statement, you find it places more emphasis on curbing Taiwan's independence than on pushing for unification with China," the lawmaker said.
The seven guidelines will immediately come into effect if Taiwan would accept the "one China" principle, said the statement.
The first and second guideline call for both sides to reopen dialogue, end mutual hostility, establish a military cooperation mechanism and build a peace and stability framework.
According to the anonymous lawmaker, these points correspond to the two questions posed in Taiwan's first national referendum on March 20.
"Compared with `Jiang's eight points,' Hu's guidelines show more flexibility and pragmatism. The last guideline even mentions Beijing's intention to help Taiwan obtain the proper international space by allowing it to join international organizations," the lawmaker said.
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday made no official comment in response to Beijing's announcement.
Meanwhile, incoming MAC Chairman Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), who is currently deputy director-general of the Presidential Office, and Vice Chairman Chiu Tai-san (邱太三), a Democratic Progressive Party legislator, held a tea party for reporters to share their thoughts about challenges posed by their new posts.
Both refuted the Chinese media's claims that they were separatists.
In response to a question whether he was in favor of Taiwanese independence, Wu stressed that he is a "very pragmatic" man.
Chiu said trade should be one of the council's main priorities.
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