Taiwan vows to push for referendum on island's future

In a move likely to anger China, Taiwan's president has vowed to push through a new constitution describing the island as an independent state and threatened to hold a referendum on Taiwan's future.

In campaigning for candidates from his pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) ahead of December 11 parliamentary elections, President Chen Shui-bian appeared to turn away from recent conciliatory gestures towards Beijing.

Chen said Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory, needed a new constitution to reflect changes on the island which has been ruled as a de facto independent state for over half a century.

"What we need are substantial changes ... and it is a new law," Chen told a rally on Sunday.