Taiwan's new China policy maker sticks to hard line

Taipei, Apr 12: Taiwan's new policy-maker on China struck a hardline today, saying Beijing's refusal to recognise the island's separate identity was the main obstacle to better ties.

China has claimed sovereignty over an adamantly self-ruled Taiwan since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949. Beijing has vowed to bring the democracy of 23 million people back under mainland rule, by force if necessary.

''I think the biggest difficulty in contact between the two governments is that the Beijing authorities don't face up to the Republic of China's existence,'' Mainland Affairs Council Chairman Chen Ming-tong said, referring to Taiwan's official name.

Chen, 57, a professor at National Taiwan University, replaces Joseph Wu as head of the council.

Chen has worked as an adviser to Taiwan's independence-leaning President Chen Shui-bian and was the vice chairman of the council from 2000 to 2004.

Wu will go to Washington D C to head 12 US -based Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office branches, Taiwan's de facto embassy and consulates in the United States.

Yesterday, in another sign of toughness, the Mainland Affairs Council rejected Beijing's criticism of Taiwan's ruling party for seeking a new constitution that could consecrate the island's independence.

The council said Taiwan was already independent.

Observers will look to see if Chen follows through on more than a year of negotiations to bring more Chinese tourists to Taiwan, which for security and immigration reasons limits the number of visitors.

Taiwan officials say an agreement to let 1,000 Chinese tourists visit the island each day should be signed this year.

Chen said he needed to find out the obstacles to the agreement, which was tipped to take effect in the first half of the year.

Reuters