Chen pushes Taiwan constitution plan

Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian may have set the stage for another clash with Beijing saying his country could "freeze" its current constitution and adopt a new one, the <i>Financial Times</i> reported. Chen said defining Taiwan's sovereignty and territory are "extremely serious, complicated and sensitive, but also extremely important". Taiwan's constitution has been in place since 1947 and past moves to change it have resulted in warnings from Beijing. Chen has pledged to put constitutional change at the centre of his agenda before he steps down in 2008 but reforms may prove difficult since they require a three-quarters majority in an opposition-dominated parliament and a 50% vote in a general referendum.