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Independence means disaster, says Taiwanese VP

TAIPEI: Taiwan Vice President Lien Chan, locked in a tight three-way race for the presidency, hit out at the pro-independence platform of a rival candidate on Monday, saying it was a sure course to disaster.

"The Taiwan independence platform will bring nothing but disaster to this country," Lien told a news conference in apparent reference to Chen Shui-bian, standard-bearer for Taiwan's main opposition Democratic Progressive Party in presidential elections on March 18.

"The consequences of this line of thinking will bring confrontation and even disaster," Lien, presidential candidate of the ruling Nationalist Party, said when asked if he would boost his chances of winning by resorting to scare tactics.

Beijing has threatened to invade if Taiwan declares independence. It has regarded the island as an insubordinate province that must be brought under its rule since the Communists won a civil war in 1949 and drove the defeated Nationalists into exile on Taiwan.

Taiwan stocks closed below the government-targeted support level of 9,400 points on Monday as cautious investors moved to the sidelines.

The elections could see the Nationalists turn into an opposition party for the first time since they took over the island from the Japanese in 1945.

Lien, consistently trailing Chen and maverick James Soong -- a former member of the Nationalist Party -- in public opinion polls, said Taiwan needs to maintain peaceful relations with China to ensure continued development on the wealthy and democratic island.

Lien said he and his vice-presidential running mate, Prime Minister Vincent Siew, were the best qualified of five teams contending for the presidency to deal with Beijing.

In an apparent bid to sway Taiwan's March 18 presidential elections, Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji told parliament on Sunday that China would not "sit idly by" if the island headed towards independence.

Chinese President Jiang Zemin said on Saturday China would take "all possible drastic measures" against Taiwan if the island stalled indefinitely on reunification talks.

The sabre-rattling followed the release of a policy white paper last month in which China threatened to use military force if the island dragged its heels on reunification.

Lien played down China's renewed threats against the island, saying he was willing to give Beijing more time to respond to his olive branch.

"I believe they might not have had time to study my constructive proposals yet. We would better allow some time, then we can see the real response to my proposals," Lien said, referring to his policy towards China unveiled last month.

Lien's platform included an offer to end a decades-old ban on direct trade and transport links with China.

Lien nonetheless said he stood by President Lee Teng-hui's controversial call for "special state-to-state" relations with China if he were elected.

"President Lee's policy is the policy of this country. It's not a personal policy, but a national policy," Lien said.

"The so-called state-to-state relationship is the constant policy of my country and my government," he added.

Lien said he would welcome a visit by China's top envoy, Wang Daohan, and reopen dialogue with Beijing as long as the island was treated as a political equal.

"Parity is the name of the whole game," Lien said.-Reuters