Taiwan chief softens message to Beijing

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Bashing rival China might be a good way to get elected in Taiwan, but President Chen Shui-bian sent a strong message to Beijing on Thursday that he's ready for friendlier relations during his second term.

Chen loaded up his inauguration speech with conciliatory language aimed at soothing Beijing and assuring the United States that he wasn't a reckless leader seeking to spark a war with his communist neighbor.

"The Beijing authorities must understand the deep conviction held by the people of Taiwan to strive for democracy, to love peace," said the 53-year-old president, a former Taipei mayor and lawyer.

Washington worries about Taiwan-China relations because the United States has long served as a bodyguard for the island, about the size of Maryland. China has threatened to attack since a bloody civil war split the two sides in 1949.

Chen jangled nerves in Washington by campaigning on an anti-China platform that kept Chinese leaders fuming. The message played well with Chen's core supporters, who oppose unification.

But keeping friendly U.S. ties is vital to Taiwan, and after his narrow March 20 re-election, Chen got to work repairing frayed relations. Taiwanese officials acknowledged that his speech was vetted by Washington for provocative rhetoric.

U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher congratulated Chen on Thursday, but he made it clear that Washington wouldn't back any move by Taiwan — or China — to unilaterally try altering the status quo.

"We do not support Taiwan independence and we oppose attempts by either side to unilaterally alter the status quo," he said.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Chen's address "creates an opportunity for Taipei and Beijing to restore dialogue across the Strait."

Despite Chen's reassuring tone, China warned Taiwan in a commentary published Thursday in state-run media not to pursue independence, saying the island should not "gamble on the mainland's tolerance."

Beijing didn't react directly to Chen inauguration address, but it was almost certain to take issue with his renewed promise to revise the constitution. China fears that Chen would use a new constitution to enshrine Taiwan's independent status.

But Chen promised that the constitutional changes wouldn't touch on the sensitive sovereignty issues because Taiwanese weren't ready to take them up.