Taiwan, China in war of words over election dispute

11.30am

TAIPEI - A war of words erupted between China and Taiwan on Friday after Taiwanese authorities declared Chen Shui-bian winner of a bitterly disputed presidential election that has plunged the island into turmoil.

Angry supporters of Chen's rival stormed the election body's offices shortly before the announcement, smashing windows, throwing stones and eggs and scuffling with riot police.

In its strongest statement yet on the crisis, China said it would not sit idly by if the protests spun out of control. Taiwan promptly told China not to interfere.

Beijing regards Taiwan as a renegade province which must eventually be reunited with the mainland, by force if necessary.

Chen, who was first elected president in 2000, beat Nationalist Party challenger Lien Chan by a margin of just 0.2 per cent in last Saturday's election, one day after surviving an attempted assassination.

Lien has demanded a recount.

"Truth unclear, suspend declaration", shouted several hundred demonstrators at the electoral commission office. "Down with the commission."

Their anger was echoed by Beijing, which is anxious to prevent pro-independence activists who support Chen's policy of greater sovereignty from using the turmoil to promote their cause.

"We will not sit by watching should the post-election situation in Taiwan get out of control, leading to social turmoil, endangering the lives and property of our flesh-and-blood brothers and affecting stability across the Taiwan strait," Beijing's policy-making Taiwan Affairs Office said in a statement.

In Washington, a senior State Department official said the United States was not alarmed by Beijing's statement.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan congratulated Chen on his victory.

"We reject calls for violence, which threaten the very democratic principles to which we and the people of Taiwan are committed," he said.

He also warned Taiwan and Beijing to refrain from unilateral steps.

Analysts said Beijing was using the rhetoric to warn independence supporters against disrupting a planned Saturday demonstration by up to half a million Lien supporters.

Taiwan hit back at Beijing, telling it to mind its own business.

"Communist China has no reason to criticise our internal affairs. It is crudely interfering in our internal affairs," the policy-making Mainland Affairs Council said.

"We are doing our best to maintain cross-Strait stability and have not interfered in communist China's internal affairs. We hope communist China can fully respect our laws."

The island split from the mainland after the Nationalists fled there when they lost a civil war to the communists in 1949.

Analysts say Beijing, which regards Chen with deep suspicion, clearly would have preferred Lien who espouses a more conciliatory policy towards China.

The rivalry between Chen and Lien threatens a prolonged crisis that could paralyse policymaking in one of Asia's most vibrant economies.

Taiwan's stock market has lost nearly 10 per cent since trading reopened on Monday after the election.

Lien, who lost by 30,000 votes out of 13 million cast, has asked for an independent inquiry after the result was swung by a sympathy vote for Chen following the assassination attempt.

Lawmakers failed to agree on Friday on a motion to legislate for a recount. They said they would try again next week.

- REUTERS