Laurie Spurr, Torre Pellice, Italy, July 15 (ENI) - The World Alliance of Reformed Churches has broken ranks with other world church bodies in saying that it "understands" the Taiwanese people's aspirations for the country may include independence, among other possibilities.

In a carefully worded statement, Warc's executive committee on Monday said it "supports and accompanies the efforts of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan for the people's aspiration for the political future of Taiwan. We understand that this may include self-determination and independence."

Even though Taiwan functions as an independent country, the People's Republic of China, only 130 kilometres away, regards it as a renegade province, known by Beijing as Chinese Taipei. An official declaration of independence by Taiwan would certainly cause deep anger in Beijing and could even provoke a military attack or invasion from the mainland.

Both China and Taiwan have maintained a "One China" policy, according to which the island is part of China.

The Presbyterian church has long been in the forefront of the campaign for Taiwanese self-determination and respect for human rights on the island.

In the discussion preceding the vote at the Warc gathering, Dr CS Song, the president of Warc and a member of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan, made an impassioned plea for the alliance to move beyond its previous stances.

These statements had never, Song said, included the word "independence" but only went as far as to mention "self-determination" for Taiwan. "After 30 years, we are still repeating the same ambiguous statements," Song had argued.

Song, who is Taiwanese, is a professor at the Pacific School of Religion, part of the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, in California.

Several members of the committee were concerned that in reflecting the wishes of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan, Warc's recommendation should not disregard those of another member church, the China Christian Council.

Warc normally takes positions on individual countries only at the behest of a member church in the country.

"Now that Taiwan is fully democratic we are not going to be dictated to by the government in China or in the US," Song said.

"Here is a member church struggling under the military threat of China," he contended. "We shouldn't have a double standard: If we dare speak against the US [government in resolutions], we should speak against China."

Said Kim Yong-bok, an executive committee officer from the Presbyterian Church of Korea, "The Taiwanese situation is in a critical stage. Churches and people are trying to mobilize to take a public stance which might have consequences, political or otherwise."

Taiwan is to hold elections in 2004, Kim noted.

The Taiwanese Presbyterian church is also a member of the World Council of Churches, the world's biggest ecumenical organization.

However, the World Council of Churches has never mentioned the wish among some Taiwanese for independence, Song, a former WCC staff member, told ENI on Tuesday. "They have been hedging," said Song, who added that he understood this diplomatically, since the China Christian Council was also a member of the WCC.

Taiwanese are divided between those who support independence for the territory, those who want the country to continue in its present state of self-determination, and those who favour eventual unification with China.

Warc also recommended that its general secretary, Rev Setri Nyomi, write to the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan for further information about the position of the church and the wider society on the future of Taiwan.

"It is important for me that the China Christian Council doesn't see this as a choice of one church position against them, but as accompanying all of our churches," Nyomi told ENI after the vote on Taiwan. "We feel it's important to support our churches." [632 words]

ENI-03-0350
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