Apparently caring little about a chaotic post-election situation, Taiwan "president" Chen Shui-bian is showing a seemingly stronger resolve to go ahead with his schedule for "Taiwan independence."

In an interview with the Washington Post on March 29, the pro-independence Taiwan leader, beefed up by his re-election in the just-concluded "presidential" campaign, once again set out his timetable for a new constitution, essentially a timetable for independence.

While saying "no" to the one-China principle, which has been put forward by the mainland as the precondition to cross-Straits talks, Chen said Taiwan is an "independent and sovereign country" and urged Beijing to accept the fact.

He also said he would hasten the birth of a new constitution for Taiwan and intended to enact it in 2008.

A well-known political opportunist who is skilled at making use of public opinion to his advantage, Chen certainly didn't couch his non-acceptance of the one-China principle in a direct manner. "It is the 23 million people of Taiwan who cannot accept the so-called one-China principle," he said.

In saying this, Chen is aiming at putting the mainland on the opposite side of the Taiwanese people if Beijing takes actions against his separatist steps.

Compared with the time preceding the election, it seems that Chen now is becoming more forceful.

In the March 20 "presidential election," the pan-green camp organized by Chen and his associate Annette Lu, another flagrant Taiwan independence proponent, gained a seemingly tiny majority over the pan-blue alliance of Kuomintang Chairman Lien Chan and People First Party Chairman James Soong.

However, some 300,000 angry Taiwan demonstrators protested last month's election results last weekend.

Also, the failure of Chen's long-promoted referendum on independence undoubtedly shows that the idea of "Taiwan independence" is unpopular among Taiwanese people. The referendum, organized to coincide with the "presidential election" failed because of the absence of a statutory number of voters.

The fate of the island, if it should be decided, should be decided by all of the Chinese. Mainstream opinion in China supports Taiwan's reunification with the motherland.

Right now, drama surrounding the credibility of the election result and the "assassination" attempt on Chen is still going on in the island. One thing is certain. Whoever assumes political power in Taiwan cannot change the island's being a part of China.

To show his "desire" for peace, Chen suggested establishing "a peace and stability" framework with the mainland for talks.

This is completely unacceptable.

The mainland's peace with Taiwan is built on the understanding that the island will not pursue independence.

Chen's attempt to trap the mainland by binding its hands over his independence activities is futile.

Chen's efforts toward independence, no matter under what guise, cannot cheat all the Chinese people -- including those on Taiwan.

(China Daily April 13, 2004)