With less than 40 days to go before Taiwan's "presidential" elections, Beijing yesterday rejected the island leader's latest peace overtures as "deceptive talk."

On February 3, Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian proposed a so-called "peace and stability framework" across the Straits in a bid to ease mounting pressure over his referendum plan.

Under the framework, he called on Beijing to set up a demilitarized zone, swap special envoys and establish liaison offices between the two sides.

Chen's new proposals came weeks after he threatened a "holy war" against the mainland.

Zhang Mingqing, spokesman with the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, lashed out at Chen for his obstinate drive towards a so-called "defensive referendum" on March 20 to be held alongside the "presidential" polls.

He pointed out the referendum plan is meant to provoke a confrontation across the Straits, sabotage relations and undermine cross-Straits peace.

"So his proposal for the so-called peace and stability framework is apparently aimed at cheating the Taiwanese public and international opinion," Zhang told a regular press conference.

He argued Chen has failed to demonstrate any sincere wishes to improve bilateral ties and safeguard cross-Straits peace since he took power in May 2000.

That's because the Taiwan leader has been refusing to accept the one-China principle, which is the basis for stabilizing and developing cross-Straits relations, according to Zhang.

The spokesman said no matter how hard Chen tries to defend and package his referendum plan, his "evil attempt to pave the way for a future plebiscite on independence" cannot be covered up.

"We hope our Taiwan compatriots and the international community see through the deceitfulness of Chen Shui-bian and the danger of risky pro-independence activities," he said.

At the press briefing, Han Yusheng, deputy director of the Exit and Entry Bureau under the Ministry of Public Security, also announced five measures by the central government to simplify procedures for across-Straits personnel exchanges.

He said the new package, which aims to make it convenient for Taiwan residents to come to and reside on the mainland, will be phased in as soon as possible.

The proposed methods include:

Extending the visa period for mainland residents to visit Taiwan;

Authorizing the Fujian Provincial Department of Public Security to grant five-year travel documents to Taiwan residents;

Expanding the scope for granting long-term residence permits and multi-entry travel documents to Taiwan residents;

Simplifying procedures for granting long-term residence permits to Taiwanese businessmen, senior Taiwanese management personnel and their family members as well as Taiwanese residents who study and work on the mainland;

And providing one-year multi-entry travel documents for Taiwanese businessmen and those from the tourism, civil aviation and shipping industries.

Taiwan travellers paid more than 3.66 million visits to the mainland in 2002 and 2.73 million last year, according to official statistics.

(China Daily February 12, 2004)