Chen’s speech foreshadows split attempt

　　[本报短评]陈水扁是需要被批，但运用这种近乎缺乏理智的指责方式，是否失去一个泱泱大国应有的风度，以及损害国家的形象呢？

　　[People’s Daily Report]Beijing warned Monday that independence-minded Chen Shui-bian still poses a big threat to cross-Straits peace and stability despite conciliatory remarks in his May 20 inauguration address.

　　Although he did not use the term of "one country on each side", Chen Shui-bian’s May 20 speech brimmed with the concept of "Taiwan Independence" and foreshadowing of his attempt to split China, said Zhang Mingqing, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, at a news conference Monday.

　　Zhang said that although Chen did not mention the time frame for writing a new "constitution" in 2006 and the referendum leading to "Taiwan Independence", he used ambiguous words, like "his personal proposal" and "the common understanding of the vast majority that will be reached", to describe his stances on whether the sovereignty, territory and "Reunification or Independence" issue would be included in the proposed "constitutional reform".

　　"Chen’s expression carried the foreshadowing of his attempt to split China," Zhang acknowledged, "which will undermine the stability of the Taiwan Straits and the Asia-Pacific region."

　　Chen’s speech, said Zhang, revealed that he still persisted in his stance of seeking "Taiwan Independence" and he had no sincerity to improve the cross-Straits relations.

　　"So the root of tensions in the Taiwan Straits has not been eliminated and the potential peril affecting peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region still exists."

　　In his inauguration speech, Chen did not completely rule out the possibility of touching on issues related to sovereignty, territory and the subject of reunification versus independence in the "constitutional" re-engineering project.

　　The Taiwan leader said only that as "consensus has yet to be reached on" such issues, he explicitly proposes that these particular issues be excluded from the present "constitutional" reforms.

　　Beijing views the plan for adopting a new "constitution" for the island as tantamount to a formal declaration of independence, which may trigger the use of non-peaceful means.

　　The statement issued by the Taiwan Work Office under the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council on May 17, noted Zhang, has explicitly demonstrated the Chinese Mainland’s sincerity toward peaceful reunification, voiced the common aspiration and firm resolve of the 1.3 billion Chinese people to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity and offered a package of proposals for improved cross-Straits relations under the one-China principle.

　　The statement, as the Chinese Mainland’s important document on the Taiwan question, has drawn a lot of positive response from the Taiwanese community and the international community, Zhang said.

　　[VOA REPORT]中国强硬回应台湾总统陈水扁的就职演说，台湾政府对此表示强烈遗憾，学者也针对陈水扁政府有意推动的制宪进程发表了看法。

　　*陈其迈：北京缺乏善意及创意*

　　针对中国国台办星期一强硬回应陈水扁的就职演说，台湾行政院表达了强烈遗憾，认为中国当局是以旧思维错误看待演说的善意。行政院发言人陈其迈说：“国台办今天的发言，不仅不具建设性，更缺乏善意和创意，中共当局一再以恫吓的言论恫吓台湾，不仅不能清除两岸之间的石头，更只会搬石头砸自己的脚，不仅无助于两岸关系的改善，更严重伤害台湾人民的感情。”

　　*黄志芳：中国说法悖离事实*

　　总统府副秘书长兼发言人黄志芳表示，陈水扁释出的善意和诚意是无庸置疑的，也受到国际社会的肯定，国台办的说法完全悖离事实。

　　*杨念祖：台不会停止修宪*

　　中国国台办发言人张铭清说，不在乎陈水扁说什么，最关键的问题是做什么。对此，台湾高等政策研究协会执行长杨念祖教授认为，听其言，观其行，已经成为北京政府面对陈水扁的准则，但台北方面应该不会停止修宪或制宪的动作，只是在做法上会有一些调整。

　　他说：“我记得他在演讲当中提到要制定一个各党各派的全国制宪委员会，希望尽快推动。他应该会做这样的事情，换句话说，把民进党今天的制宪小组的功能解除，尽量由全国制宪委员会取代重要决策的方向，或许比较能缓和北京对于制宪的忧虑。也要看修宪或制宪的内容，所取的人选，里头也会有一些解读，以及一些修宪的条件，大陆方面也会审查所谓修宪要走独，还是有一些更动的现象。”

　　*陈仪深：修宪基于内部需要*

　　中央研究院近代史研究员陈仪深教授认为，中国方面应该清楚理解，台湾的宪改是基于内部需要，提升政府的效能，不会涉及国号领土的更改。他说：“在对方没有动武和其他变数的情况下，陈总统也不主动去碰触宪法里有关国号，比方他还是叫中华民国宪法。基本上，台湾的宪法必须做大幅度的更动，内容在泛蓝的政党也有相当共识，这是中华民国宪法，并不是台湾共和国的宪法，我想他在2008卸任前会有一个新宪法。”

　　*廖风德：阿扁须重新思考两岸关系*

　　在野的国民党立法院党团表示，国台办的强硬谈话显示陈水扁的就职演说未能取信于中国，两岸关系将持续紧张。党团书记长廖风德认为，陈水扁必须重新思考两岸关系定位，因为模糊的两岸政策将导致两岸关系持续紧张，人心惶惶，也不利于经济发展。