While blasting Chen's "shifty" and "base" act in pursuit of personal gains, Li warned that it would seriously sabotage cross-Straits relations and threaten peace and stability across the Straits and in the Asia-Pacific region.

Given the potential instability fraught in Chen's move, the United States has also warned him against seeking the "territorial" change.

"The United States does not support independence for Taiwan, and we continue to be opposed to unilateral changes in the status quo by either side," State Department spokesman Tom Casey said on Monday.

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