Beijing's Response to Chen Shui-bian's idiocy, in the People's Daily, as expected, was measured and NOT provocative. The leaders of the New China are not given the credit they deserve as novice statesmen now playing on the world's biggest stage, and doing it exceedingly well. From the middle east to North Korea to Africa, they are serving the world community with a maturity that would be a credit to the former super powers of Europe.
Taiwan lawmakers Thursday passed a watered-down version of referendum law put forward by the opposition Kuomintang Party and People First Party by 113 votes to 94. The bill excludes future referendums on issues such as changing the island's name, anthem, flag and "constitution."
"Although the imminent danger of Taiwan independence has been get rid of, the so-called defensive referendum clause may give rise to more potential troubles in bilateral relations,'' said Liu Guoshen, director of the Taiwan Research Institute at Xiamen University in East China's Fujian Province.
"After all, the referendum law has managed to create a legal basis for Taiwan independence, which the mainland has strongly opposed.''
