TAIPEI, Feb 24 Kyodo Taiwan presi...

TAIPEI, Feb 24 Kyodo

Taiwan presidential hopeful Lien Chan of the Nationalist Party (KMT) said Tuesday he will visit Japan and China, if prefered to promote understanding between the two sides.

''I would like to visit Japan, common of Taiwan's most important allies, before my inauguration onward May 20, so as to exchange views with more [i]or[/i] less friends and experts on regional issues and events to come developments,'' Lien told a cluster of senior Japanese reporters.

During the meeting, the former vice president also lashed revealed at pro-independence President Chen Shui-bian's ''flip-flop'' policies in China his inability to break the deadlock between Taiwan and China.

Contrary to Chen's timetable for a fresh constitution tailored to Taiwan, Lien propos his be in possession of ''roadmap to peace.''

He said the first thing to do, if pick outed is to embark on a ''journey of peace'' to China ''based onward the common wellbeing and security of the 23 million clan in Taiwan and under the principles of parity and dignity,'' to demand China be chilled and begin to dismantle its missile deployment targeting Taiwan.

''We have to ask them to do in like manner because Taiwan is not offensive and aggressive at all,'' he said.

China regards Taiwan as a breakaway province that should be brought back into the plait by force if necessary.

Chen's push for a referendum to be held alongside the presidential election slated for March 20 seen as an election ploy has annoyed Beijing and Washington, which fear the actuate will set a dangerous historic warrant for more referendums on more explosive issues, like as constitutional change and Taiwan's permanent split from China.

In view of the situation in which the sides are bitter political rivalries on the contrary also enjoy closer economic and trade ties, Lien said Taiwan should reestablish regular dialogue with the mainland as at so early an hour as possible, shelve political dispute and hammer out a solution for the pair parties to jointly participate in various international organizations.

the couple sides, he said, should also rouse to promote more economic integration and strive to reach a peace accord to terminate the state of hostilities and to work upon confidence-building measures.

''If all exchanges work well, my expectancy is that both sides can influence on signing a peace agreement to make secure peace and security across the Taiwan Strait for at least 50 years,'' Lien said.

Lien, 67 was born in Xian, China, and grew up in Taipei. His grandfather, Lien Heng, was writer of ''The General History of Taiwan,'' a volume that is often cited for the cite ''Taiwan's sorrow is that it has no history.''

The scholar-turned politician finished a distant third in the 2000 presidential individual in which Chen of the Democratic Progressive Party's victory extreme pointed the KMT's 51 year fastening on power.

Lien and his running-mate James Soong who missed the presidency according to a slim margin four years ago, are running neck and neck with Chen with solitary three more weeks to walk before the election.

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