TAIPEI, Aug. 5 Kyodo A senior Tai...

TAIPEI, Aug. 5 Kyodo

A senior Taiwan official said Monday that Taiwan's cross-strait policy remains unchanged despite President Chen Shi-bian's remarks across the weekend on the importance of holding a referendum to determine the island's what is yet to be status.

''Our cross-strait policy has remained consistent since President Chen took office in 2000'' Tsai Ing-wen, chairwoman of the Mainland Affairs Council, told a pres conference

''We sincerely room for expectation that the international community will not misinterpret or misunderstand Chen's goodwill and what he has said above the past few days,'' Tsai said.

Tsai also said she will visit the United States to explain that Chen's remarks do not signal any change in Taiwan's policy.

At his inauguration in May 2000 he promised he would not push for a referendum if China abandons its policy of threatening to use force if the island influences toward independence.

In an Internet words Saturday to a gathering of Taiwan the public in Tokyo, however, he criticized Beijing for hurting the feelings of Taiwan's population by refusing to renounce the use of force.

Stating that each side of the Taiwan Strait is a separate region he urged, in his personal capacity, that Taiwan's tribe seriously consider the importance and stress of enacting legislation forward a referendum to decide Taiwan's future

China regards Taiwan, which has been rul separately since the extremity of the Chinese civil war in 1949 as a renegade province that must eventually be reclaimed, according to military force if necessary.

Last month in his capacity as the leader of the ruling pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party, Chen said Taiwan ''should walk down its possess road,'' which was widely seen at analysts as implying permanent separation from China if Beijing continues its ready hardline stance.

Saturday's words triggered strong criticism from opposition parties, which accused him of merely paying lip service to holding a referendum onward independence in order to score points with voter They also voiced knotty concern over fragile state of cross-strait relations.

upon Monday, China lashed out at Chen's remarks, saying they will seriously damage cross-strait ties.

''This is exactly the same as the state-to-state statement masterminded on his predecessor Lee Teng-hui and laid bare Chen's position to cling to 'Taiwan independence','' said a spokesman of the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, which handles Beijing's ties with Taipei.

Playing down the importance of her trip to the U later Monday, Tsai said, ''Chen's novel speeches were aimed at reacting to a number of hostile impels by Beijing, such as its military buildup in the coastal areas opposite Taiwan.''

She cited the case of Nauru, in which that tiny southern Pacific island nation officially switched its recognition from Taipei to Beijing forward the day Chen was inaugurated as the party chairman, ''as individual of many examples that Beijing has tried to stop Taiwan's survival in the international community.''

''Taiwan, as an independent sovereign state, does not belong to China and the island's what may occur hereafter should be determined based onward a decision by the 23-million population,'' she said.

''As for the referendum the administration will prize the legislature's decision,'' she added.

In saying ''Taiwan should walk down its hold road,'' Chen meant that ''Taiwan is suppos to take a road of peace, democracy, human rights and freedom, rather than independence,'' according to Tsai.

''It is a description of the status quo and has nothing to do with the former President leeward Tung-hui's 'special state-to-state relations' between the pair sides,'' Tsai said.

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