TAIPEI (AFP) — Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian dismissed an offer of a peace treaty with China in an interview published Friday, saying it would be like agreeing to "a treaty of surrender".
Speaking to the International Herald Tribune, Chen said China's offer, made by President Hu Jintao in a keynote speech earlier this week, was couched in terms that made it unacceptable.
"It is very clear now that if we were to sign such a peace treaty under the framework of the 'one China' principle, then I think this would mean, for the 23 million people of Taiwan, a treaty of surrender," Chen said.
Hu made what he called the "solemn appeal" at the opening of the Communist Party's five-yearly Congress in Beijing on Monday, but insisted independence for the island would never be tolerated.
Taiwan and China split in 1949 after a civil war, and while the island has since governed itself, Beijing considers it part of its own territory awaiting reunification.
"On the basis of the one-China principle, let us discuss a formal end to the state of hostility between the two sides, reach a peace agreement, construct a framework for peaceful development of cross-strait relations and thus usher in a new phase of peaceful development," Hu said Monday.
Chen retorted to the newspaper that Taiwan "is an independent, sovereign country; Taiwan is not part of China, nor is Taiwan a local government of the People's Republic of China."
He was also scathing about Hu.
"Hu is a formidable rival, sharp yet merciless," Chen said. "He is like a smiling tiger, hiding a dagger in a smile, with honey in his mouth but a sword at his stomach."
But the Taiwan leader stressed that he did not oppose the idea of a peace treaty altogether.
"None of us opposes the idea of signing a peace treaty, but everybody has different preconditions and different conditions of accepting this proposal," Chen said in the interview without elaborating.
He had said Tuesday, in a first reaction to Hu's offer, that he would only sign a peace deal if Beijing abandoned the "one-China" principle, scrapped its anti-secession law authorising the use of force against Taiwan, and withdrew nearly 1,000 missiles targeting the island.
Tensions have risen across the Taiwan Strait amid efforts by the island to join the United Nations. Its latest attempt last month was beaten off by China but the pro-independence Chen has vowed to press ahead with a referendum next year on launching a fresh bid using the name Taiwan.
Taiwan, under its official name the Republic of China, lost its UN seat to China in 1971.
The referendum proposal has been strongly criticised both by China and the United States, which fears it will only aggravate tensions.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved. More »
