Chen warned not to pursue secession
By Xing Zhigang (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-02-23 05:32

His plan has even caused unease in Washington, the island's major arms supplier, with the State Department emphasizing it opposes any unilateral changes to the current situation.

Taiwanese newspapers reported on Tuesday that a senior official at the National Security Council, Dennis Wilder, met Chen in Taipei last week but failed to convince him to drop his plan to scrap the guidelines.

In Washington on Tuesday, State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said he was unaware of such a trip, adding the US was still standing by the status quo.

"We reiterate the view that Taiwan needs to refrain from taking actions which can be seen as unilateral efforts to change the status quo," Ereli told reporters.

Despite political tension across the Straits, Chen Yunlin stressed yesterday that the mainland will actively and pragmatically push for the establishment of regular cross-Straits passenger and cargo charter flights and mainland tourists?travel to the island.

He told the KMT delegation that the National Tourism Administration would soon release a regulation on mainland residents?package tours to Taiwan, in which the island will be officially listed as a tourism destination.

The regulation will be an important step in promoting tours to Taiwan after Beijing lifted its ban on mainland tourists visiting Taiwan last May.

Chen Yunlin urged non-government talks on cross-Straits charter flights and tourism to pave way for their realization at an early date.

Tseng said there are "no real hindrances?to establishing cross-Straits charters and allowing mainland tourists to visit Taiwan.

"The KMT is willing to play a bridging role between the authorities across the Straits?to facilitate progress on the two issues, he added. Tseng urged the DPP administration to reciprocate Beijing's goodwill.