- (AFP) -- Taiwan's parliament has passed a motion demanding
China remove the hundreds of ballistic missiles deployed near the island
and settle the sovereignty dispute by peaceful means.
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- Tuesday's motion, proposed by the ruling Democratic Progressive
Party, urged Beijing to dismantle its ballistic missiles targeting Taiwan.
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- "The two sides should reopen talks as swiftly as
possible to tackle the sovereignty dispute," it said.
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- Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian earlier this month
renewed his demand that China remove "immediately" the 400 missiles
it has targeted at the island and renounce the use of force against his
country.
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- The call came ahead of the Sino-US summit October 25
between Chinese President Jiang Zemin and President George W. Bush in Crawford,
Texas.
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- Chen first insisted that China dismantle the missile
deployment on September 10, saying that they were "terrorising the
23 million people" living in Taiwan.
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- China considers Taiwan a renegade province and has vowed
to retake the island by force if necessary should Taipei lag on talks on
reunification.
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- Ties with the mainland have deteriorated significantly
since Chen who belongs to the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party,
was elected president in 2000.
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- Chen has consistently rejected Beijing's "one China,
two systems" framework for unification, insisting on Taiwan's independent
status.
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