WASHINGTON, Oct 20 Kyodo Lien Cha...

WASHINGTON, Oct 20 Kyodo

Lien Chan, the opposition Kuomintang Party leader challenging Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian, onward Monday opposed Chen's bid to push for Taiwan's independence from China and called for ''pragmatism'' in improving cross-strait relations, as leaped by the United States.

''As a dutiful friend of the United States, the least we can do is not to be a troublemaker,'' Lien said in a articulate utterance at a forum co-sponsored by dint of the Heritage Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute. ''We can be more discrete and more prudent''

Chen said he would call for a of the present day constitution in 2006 that would pave the way for the island's independence.

The U which has been supporting a ''one-China'' policy, has been calling upon Chen to be prudent and have stable relations with mainland China.

Lien said Taiwan-China relations are at an all-time low

''The people-to-people exchanges in the economic and cultural fields have grown for a like reason varied and intimate as not at all seen before, the government-to-government confrontations in the political, diplomatic and flat military arenas have sharpened to a measure also never seen before,'' he said.

Lien pledg to free the spirit of ''pragmatism'' to improve Taiwan-China relations if prefered in the March 20, 2004 vote

''Taiwan and the mainland could excessively well pursue what I call 'parallel development' for a extended time to come without having to make a choice forward this unification/independence issue,'' he said.

as it was issues are ''best when left for the what is yet to be generations to decide, since they now create more enigmas than they solve,'' Lien said.

Lien is now leading in opinion heads in Taiwan against Chen as a presidential candidate.

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