Taipei, Dec. 18 (CNA) Vice President Annette Lu defended Thursday President Chen Shui-bian's call for a "defensive referendum" on Beijing's missile threat against Taiwan and rebutted claims that Chen might use the referendum as a move toward Taiwan independence.
In an interview with the Qatar-based Al Jazeera TV Channel, Lu said mainland China is targeting the island with 496 missiles which could be increased to 650 or 800 in the future if it is not stopped.
No country can turn a blind eye to such a serious threat and as head of state, Chen is determined to use the power awarded to him by the legislature to call for the referendum to show the public opposition to the threat and therefore defend the country's sovereignty.
She dismissed concerns that Chen might use the referendum as an excuse to justify his attempts to alter the status quo in the Taiwan Strait by declaring Taiwan independent, pointing out that the country has been an independent state for decades and there is no need for it to formally declare independence.