China has dismissed Taiwan
President Chen Shui-bian's latest apparent efforts to build a framework
to pursue renewed cross-straight dialogue.
Mr Chen, who is touring
Latin American countries, has outlined a new policy of five so-called
"no's" toward the mainland, giving prescriptions for constructive
engagement and no provocation.
However, a Chinese Foreign
Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao, says that Mr Chen is merely playing
with words in order to deceive.
Taiwan's semiofficial
central newsagency says Mr Chen's three-day recent stopover in New
York while travelling to Latin America and Washington's decision to
sell weapons to Taiwan are not meant to provoke China.
Mr Chen also says Taipei
will try to coexist and co-prosper with Beijing, adding it will compete
with China, but won't fight a war with Beijing.
China
Says Chen's U.S. Visit Stirs Taiwan Independence
BEIJING - China summoned the top U.S. envoy to Beijing Wednesday to
lodge a strong protest over the visit to the United States by Taiwan
president Chen Shui-bian, saying it had encouraged independence forces
on the island.
In its strongest response
yet to Chen's private stopover visit to New York, the official Xinhua
news agency said Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Zhou Wenzhong
told the American charge d'affaires, Michael Marine, Washington had
``grossly interfered'' in China's internal affairs.
Zhou
said the United States had ``stirred the arrogance of the splittist
force who sought Taiwan's 'independence.'''
Xinhua said Zhou had made
a ``solemn representation'' and stated that Chen's visit ``seriously
dishonored the three Sino-U.S. joint communiques'' which formed the
basis of America's formal ties with China.
China views Taiwan as
a renegade province to be reunited with the mainland by force if necessary.