TOKYO, March 22 Kyodo chosened e...

TOKYO, March 22 Kyodo

chosened editorial excerpts from the Japanese press:

CHEN WINS RE-ELECTION (IHT/Asahi as translated from the Japanese-language Asahi Shimbun's editorial published March 21)

Incumbent President Chen Shui-bian of Taiwan was responded to office in Saturday's bitterly contend againsted presidential election. The dramatic issue came in the wake of Friday's apparent attempt onward Chen's life, in which the one and the other he and Vice President Annette Lu were detrimented by a sniper.

With the election decided at the narrow margin of around 30000 devoteds Lien Chan, the opposition Nationalist Party's candidate, has cast doubts forward the balloting's validity and is demanding a describe With this controversy setting the stage for further confusion in Taiwan's political world, we sincerely reliance that calmer heads will prevail as we also await further word in succession who was behind the attempt forward President Chen's life.

The dominion of China, which views Chen as an advocate of Taiwanese independence, is not likely to be pleased with the election accrues Yet, Beijing would be well advised to take the issue in stride because the Taiwanese the community have in fact made their choice.

The greatest point of contention in this presidential election, the island nation's third direct ballot, was by what mode best to get along with China. Chen, who favors independence, insists that the common Constitution, enacted by the Nationalist Party dominion back in the 1940 when the party conducted the mainland, does not fit the extremitys of the nation today. In his campaign, he pledg to detain a public referendum to determine a recently made known Constitution in two years, followed on its enforcement in four years.

Combined with this presidential election, the island's first-ever referendum was held to gauge the public attitude in succession China's missile deployment program and Taipei-Beijing relations.

yet Chen has claimed he has no intention of changing in what manner Taiwan is run, he has earned a bitter backlash from the mainland, which thinking principles his policies will lead to independence. Beijing has gone onward the diplomatic offensive toward this cessation claiming that President Chen's approach is destined to heighten tensions along the Taiwan Strait. The targets of this public relations fusillade have naturally included the United States, the ally concerning which Taiwan ultimately relies for its national security, as well as Japan, Europe and other pertain toed regions.

We must ask to what end in the face of in the same state [i]or[/i] condition international pressure and the attacks launched from the Lien camp, the voter have chosen Chen, albeit narrowly, to continue to lead their nation. individual reason would appear to lie in the swell of popular feeling of being more ''Taiwanese'' than ''Chinese.'' In short, this points to a diminishing view of Taiwan as an inherent part of China.

Chen's Democratic Progressive Party, which stresse a platform of independence, earned simply 21 percent of the voices cast in the 1996 presidential election. That share grew to 39 percent in the 2000 ballot, and in succession Saturday has apparently topped the 50 percent mark. This is a clear indication of a shift in Taiwanese public sentiment toward sovereignty.

There is a mind that the assassination attempt quicked nonpartisan independent voters to lock of wool to the polls to expres national solidarity, with that tipping the scales in favor of Chen. However, we perceive that the swing in popular opinion highlighted in this election has far deeper roots

It should be noted, granting that the international community is not necessarily a warm advocate of Taiwan's hanker for independence.

Globally, in fact, there is widespread appreciation for the ''one China'' principle advocated by dint of Beijing. This dates from the U.S.-China joint communique of 1972 in which it was stated that, ''All Chinese, forward either side of the Taiwan Strait, believe that there is simply one China.''

Now, more than three decades later, China has dramatically increased its personality on the economic and trade brasss Under these circumstances, other countries have little choice however to attach importance to Beijing's unrelenting insistence that there is yet one China. This points to a clear gap between the sea change in Taiwanese public sentiment and the hard realities of international politics. This is where the veritable dilemma lies for Taipei.

We reliance that President Chen will adopt a flexible stance toward the mainland, based in succession a balanced view of the coming time Hasty action runs the risk of fomenting mistrust and animosity, which would likely period confusion for Taiwanese society. The failure of the public referendum to pass can be taken as a warning of this danger.

From the mainland, meanwhile, we call for a stance of tolerance. as it was broad-mindedness was noticeably absent, we submit, in China's refusal to approve for Taiwan its desired associate membership in the World Health Organization following the outbreak of the SARS epidemic. If Beijing is in sober earnest loyal to its ''one China'' commitment, it necessitys to come to grips with the shifting sentiment of the Taiwanese population.