Experts warned Monday that Chen Shui-Bian's recent remarks provoke tension across the Taiwan Straits.

The timetable Chen released at Sunday's meeting of an extreme organization for "Taiwan independence" was a plot intended to break the present relations across the Taiwan Straits, said Xu Bodong, director of the Taiwan Institute under the Beijing Union University.

Chen said at the annual meeting of "World Taiwanese Congress," the extreme organization for "Taiwan independence," that he would spare no effort to push a "new Taiwan Constitution" including making a "referendum" in 2006 and enacting a "new Constitution" in2008 if he won the election.

He had pledged earlier not to declare Taiwan independence, not incorporate the "state-to-state" description into its constitution, not change the so-called "national title" and not make the referendum on Taiwan independence if he is reelected.

Chen also promised to push forward a "peace and stability framework" across the Straits.

"The so dramatic attitude change has showed again his true face," Xu said.

Opposition to Chen mounted after he advocated a so-called island-wide "referendum" on March 20, which harmed his election campaign.

"That's why he toned down earlier and, now for the sake of the election, he has tuned up again," Xu said.

Chen is rushing to keep voters that are for Taiwan independence while he has been greatly pressed by rivals and has no time to lobby those in the middle, which is part of the reason why he set up an image as the leader for "Taiwan independence," said Prof. Huang Jiashu from the Renmin University of China.

"Of course what he did showed that he has never given up 'Taiwan independence' and was always a troublemaker," he said.

Chen gives up the basic interest of Taiwan people and the stability across the Straits for his election campaign, which is immoral, Xu said.

He has deceived Taiwan people by disguising a "referendum" for "Taiwan independence" with democracy, he added.

Chen's attempt to overturn the present Taiwan legal framework connoting one China concept has been and will be opposed by all Chinese people including Taiwan people and other countries, Huang said.

(Xinhua News Agency March 15, 2004)