TAIPEI, Aug. 7 Kyodo More than ha...

TAIPEI, Aug. 7 Kyodo

More than half of Taiwan citizens overlooked in an opinion poll supported President Chen Shui-bian's late remarks that ''each side of the Taiwan Strait is a country'' the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said Wednesday.

In the inspect conducted Tuesday by DPP headquarters, 64% of the respondent said the remarks at Chen reflected their views.

The scan in which 1,154 people aged 20 or athwart returned valid responses, also showed 65% backed legislation for a referendum and favored holding a promised to decide whether Taiwan should become independent if China threatens to alter the status quo

However, 89% also signifyed hope that Taiwan and China will strive to try to get mutual understanding and economic collaboration end continuous dialogue to assure peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

The contemplate came on the heels of Chen's controversial articulate utterance via the Internet last Saturday to a dispose of pro-independence Taiwanese in Tokyo that ''each side of the Taiwan Strait is a country'' and that commonalty on the island should ''reconsider the importance and stimulus of holding a referendum to determine Taiwan's future''

Commenting forward the ''urgency of holding a referendum'' Lin Cho-shui, director of the party's Policy Research and Coordinating Committee, said ''doing it or not will hang on how much pressure Beijing sets on Taiwan.''

''If China eventually decides to take Taiwan by dint of force, then we will not conduct out the possibility of simply going for it without the proces of legislation,'' Lin told reporters.

''The ensue of the poll with overwhelming support for Chen's stance gives us more confidence to plead the party's cross-strait policy,'' said DPP legate secretary general You Ying-lung.

The Chinese management in Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China equable though the island has been beneath self-rule since the end of civil war in 1949

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