Taiwan's parliament urges China to scrap missile deployment

TAIPEI (AFP) Dec 16, 2003
Taiwan's parliament on Tuesday passed a resolution urging China to remove hundreds of ballistic missiles targeting the island to pave way for reconciliation between the two long-time political rivals.

The resolution proposed by the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) and People First Party (PFP) said: "China is currently aiming some 500 ballistic missiles at Taiwan, forcing the two sides to stay in 'cold war' and threatening regional peace.

"Despite 15 years of bilateral economic and cultural exchanges, the two sides have not be able to reconcile due to military confrontation.

"To seek cross-strait progress and ensure the safety of the Taiwanese people, we hope China will stop deploying more missiles and dismantle current deployment in stages... to pave way for the reconciliation and normalization of bilateral relations."

Taiwan and China have technically been at war since the two sides split at the end of a civil war in 1949.

"The resolution is meant to dilute the mandate of President Chen Shui-bian in holding a controversial referendum on the missile issue," said PFP parliamentarian Huang Yi-chiao.

"It has already expressed the views and wishes of the Taiwanese people, so the proposed missile vote, which has fuelled cross-strait tensions and angered Washington, should become unnecessary," Huang told AFP.

Despite Chinese and US opposition, Chen had vowed to push ahead with the referendum on the day of the presidential election on March 20, when he said he would ask Beijing to dismantle the 496 missiles deployed along its southeastern coast and renounce the use of force against the island.

Beijing and Washington fear the ballot would eventually lead to a referendum on Taiwan's independence from the Chinese mainland and warned Chen not to take any steps trying to change the status quo.

China has threatened to invade Taiwan, which it considers part of its territory awaiting reunification, if the island tries to declare independence.

Parliament also on Tuesday passed a similar resolution proposed by Chen's ruling Democratic Progressive Party urging Beijing "to scrap the missile deployment and respect the ROC's (Republic of China) sovereignty and the will of the Taiwanese people seeking peace and democracy."

WAR.WIRE