Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian yesterday abolished the "National Unification Council" and its "National Unification Guidelines."
The move came despite central government warnings that it will result in a serious crisis in the Taiwan Strait.
Chen declared the decision soon after a meeting of the so-called "National Security Council."
After a one-hour meeting, Chen announced he was ending the "NUC" and doing away with its guidelines, which commit Taiwan to eventual reunification with the motherland.
"The National Unification Council will cease to function," Chen said. "The National Unification Guidelines will cease to apply."
Taiwan's major parties, including the Chinese Kuomintang, the People First Party and Non-Partisan Solidarity Union, major associations and other social groups had strongly opposed and criticized Chen's proposal before he took the action.
On Sunday, a senior official from the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council criticized Chen for escalating secessionist activities, which will inevitably result in a serious crisis in the Taiwan Strait and destroy peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.
The official pledged that the mainland will continue with utmost sincerity and effort to safeguard and promote peaceful and stable development of cross-Strait relations to strive for peaceful reunification.
"We'll never tolerate 'Taiwan independence' or allow Taiwan secessionist activities to separate Taiwan from the motherland," the official said.
On May 20, 2000, Chen promised not to abolish the "NUC" and the "National Unification Guidelines."
The "NUC" was established in 1990 by the Taiwan authorities headed by Lee Teng-hui, and 14 meetings had been held since its establishment.
However, no "NUC" meeting has been held since Chen Shui-bian became Taiwan leader.
The "National Unification Guidelines" were issued in 1991, saying both the mainland and Taiwan are under the sovereignty of China and promoting the country's reunification should be the common task of all Chinese.
(Xinhua)