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TAIPEI - Taiwan's former president Chen Shui-bian Tuesday demanded an official investigation into his successor Ma Ying-jeou and a senior Chinese envoy on charges of "sedition".
Ma's government signed historic agreements with Chen Yunlin, who arrived in Taipei representing Beijing's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait, aimed at bringing the two former enemies closer after 60 years of hostilities.
The two sides have agreed to introduce direct cargo shipping and postal services, to add passenger flights and to discuss food security in the wake of health problems caused by poisonous Chinese food imports.
Pro-independence Chen Shui-bian, who was Taiwan's president for eight years until earlier this year, issued a statement accusing Ma and Chen of violating Article 104 of the constitution, banning attempts and conspiracies with foreign governments to overthrow the island's government.
The law provides the punishments that include the death sentence for any Taiwanese citizen found guilty.
"The People's Republic of China is our enemy, but since he took office on May 20, Ma has publicly embraced 'one China' and accepted the idea of 'eventual reunification'" with China, Chen said in his statement.
Taiwan and China are still technically at war - since the nationalists lost the civil war in 1949 to Mao Zedong's communists and fled to the island - despite the commencement of civil exchanges in 1987.
Beijing claims sovereignty over the island, and has vowed to use force if necessary to retake it.
"What Ma has been doing is using the sovereignty dispute to setting aside Taiwan's sovereignty, giving up sovereignty, and selling out sovereignty.
That's the reason why we ask prosecutors to look into the matter," Chen said.
It was not immediately clear if prosecutors would launch an investigation.
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