Taiwan president calls China separate country

TAIPEI, Sep 28 (Reuters) Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian said today that Taiwan and China were separate countries, words that could provoke a strong rebuke from Beijing, which claims the island as its own.

''Taiwan is Taiwan, China is China,'' Chen said during a televised speech in Taipei on the 20th anniversary of his Democratic rogressive Party (DPP). ''Taiwan and China are definitely two different countries.'' A day after China warned Taiwan not to amend its constitution in a way that would redefine the island's territory nor to change its official name to Republic of Taiwan, ideas being studied by the party, Chen pressed for change.

''We will try our best to give birth to a new constitution,'' he said. ''We cannot keep lying to ourselves. We need a new constitution, a new Taiwan constitution, which can be suitable for Taiwan, designed for Taiwan at this place and at this time.'' Chen also reiterated his wish to join the United Nations under the name Taiwan, another move that Beijing opposes because it regards the self-ruled island as a renegade province of China.

The two sides have faced off since Chiang Kai-shek's defeated Chinese Nationalist government fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing the mainland to Mao Zedong's Communist forces. Chiang always vowed to return.

Three decades after his death in 1975, Taiwan still officially uses the title of Chiang's government, the Republic of China, and its constitution claims sovereignty over the mainland.

Chen's latest comments come as he and his party suffer historically low popularity because of accusations that the president's family and aides are corrupt and because Taiwan's economy has failed to progress as some citizens had expected.

Also today, about 500 people led by DPP former chairman Shih Ming-teh gathered at a Taipei railway station for the 19th day of a sit-in to call for Chen's removal. Chen was elected in 2000 and again in 2004.

At a scheduled briefing in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said Taiwan should not enter the UN.

''Taiwan as a part of China is not eligible for UN membership, which consists of sovereign nations,'' Qin said.

REUTERS SP RN1618