Taiwan's President Chen is sworn in

He promised to focus on improving ties with China, but he repeated his pledge to rewrite Taiwan's constitution before finishing his four-year term. He also said that the final document should be approved by a referendum. That is sure to inflame Chinese leaders, who fear he would use the new document to formalize the island's independent status.

Yesterday, China warned that it will force Taiwan to remain part of China even if it means international isolation and severe economic pain.

Militant statements in the official news media and stark warnings by several of China's leading Taiwan experts seemed intended to discount in advance any offers of reconciliation Chen might make in his inaugural address, while emphasizing Beijing's readiness to launch a military attack if he pursues formal independence.

"China will pay any price to prevent independence," said Xu Shiquan, one of China's most senior Taiwan affairs advisers.

The hard-line commentary in China appears to reflect a consensus among China's top leaders that there is no prospect of negotiating with Chen, who narrowly won re-election in a disputed poll in March, and that Beijing must eliminate doubts that it would use force to block Taiwan's separation from the mainland.

The rising tensions underscore the risks for the United States, which recognizes China's sovereignty but has also vowed to defend the island, a democracy, against any attack from China. The United States is Taiwan's main supplier of weapons.

China took the unusual step of briefing the United States on the text of a new Taiwan policy statement before its publication Monday.

For his part, Chen sent emissaries to Washington earlier this month to discuss his inaugural address, U.S. and Taiwan officials said.

A senior Bush administration official said U.S. mediation "had reduced the chances of miscalculation" at a sensitive time. But he also acknowledged that the two sides have become increasingly antagonistic and that political tensions had increased even as economic ties have flourished, suggesting that integration may not happen naturally.

Meanwhile, a spate of incidents prompted the Hong Kong government to promise protection for individual liberties. A third pro-democracy radio talk show host resigned. Pro-democracy lawmakers complained of harassment, and callers to talk shows said mainland Chinese officials were putting pressure on the callers' relatives to influence votes in elections here.

Allen Lee, a prominent politician for many years, was the latest talk show host to quit. He also said he would resign from the Congress.

"I cannot express my opinions freely," he said.

He had had warm relations with senior Chinese officials for many years, until last summer when he began expressing sympathy for greater democracy here.

Lee provided few details of the pressures, except to say that many friends who were in politics or business had contacted him since May 3, when he became host of "Teacup in a Storm," Hong Kong's best-known radio talk show. Longtime host Albert Cheng had abruptly flown to Europe on May 2 after he received death threats and his trading company was vandalized with red paint.

Raymond Wong, the host of another popular talk show on the same station, suddenly left Hong Kong on May 13. Wong had received death threats, was beaten and had his noodle shop vandalized with red paint.