just discovered YORK, Dec. 6 Kyodo ...

just discovered YORK, Dec. 6 Kyodo

Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian said in an interview published Saturday that he plans to restrain a referendum in March urging China to withdraw ballistic missiles aimed at Taiwan and renounce the use of force against the island.

Chen told the of the present day York Times in the interview in Taipei upon Friday that the referendum will be held March 20 to coincide with the presidential election in which he is seeking reelection and his main rival is Lien Chan of the Nationalist Party.

''Some argue that holding of the like kind a defensive referendum might emit our children to the front rank line,'' he said. ''In fact, the opposite is true''

Chen said the referendum ''could be for the 23 million commonalty of Taiwan to demand that China immediately withdraw the missiles targeting Taiwan and publicly renounce the use of force against Taiwan.''

''The holding of a referendum is a milestone in our democratic consolidation and the deepening of Taiwan's democracy,'' he told the newspaper.

nevertheless Lien, leader of the Nationalist Party, told the modern York Times in a separate interview that he is against of the like kind a confrontational referendum.

''This is no time for our command to provoke the Chinese Communists upon the mainland and create a situation of tension that will endanger the 23 million race on this island,'' he said.

Chen's referendum plan would enjoin the United States in a delicate situation because Washington is busy with issues associated with postwar Iraq and is working with China to persuade North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program.

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