TAIPEI (XFN-ASIA) - The governing party candidate for Taiwan's presidential
election warned today that the island could go the way of Tibet under Chinese
rule as he rallied supporters for a final campaign push.
Frank Hsieh accused China of bullying and urged voters to sweep him to
victory in the March 22 vote past frontrunner Ma Ying-jeou of the opposition
Kuomintang.
Ma favours closer ties with Beijing and has proposed a common market with
China to promote trade between the traditional foes.
Hsieh used a rally here to warn of a repeat of the violence that has swept
Tibet in recent days, amid reports of gunfire and tanks on the streets to put
down the biggest uprising against Chinese rule in nearly 20 years.
"If Taiwan's future is to be decided by people on both sides of the strait,
what has happened in Tibet today will be Taiwan's future," he told a crowd of
tens of thousands of supporters, some of whom waved Free Tibet posters.
China sent soldiers into Tibet in 1950 to "liberate" the Himalayan region,
and officially annexed it a year later.
Hsieh and his pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party often cite the
spectre of an invasion to denounce closer ties with Beijing.
"We are standing here to oppose a one-China market... to oppose a bullying
one-China," Hsieh added.
"We will reverse the tide," he vowed, using a campaign slogan referring to
opinion polls that put him 20 points behind Ma.
Meanwhile, in southern Taiwan, Ma rallied his own supporters in similarly
festive mood, balloons bearing the symbol of a horse, a homophone of his last
name.
"Let's choose a president who will move Taiwan forward instead of back. We
have already lost eight years and we must reform now for Taiwan's future," he
urged a gathering in the city of Tainan.
Both candidates were to address mass rallies today.
afp/kmq
xfnkm
COPYRIGHT
Copyright Thomson Financial News Limited 2008. All rights reserved.
The copying, republication or redistribution of Thomson Financial News Content,
including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior
written consent of Thomson Financial News.
|