China rejected Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian?s peace overtures yesterday, saying the moves were aimed at deceiving the public, that he was sabotaging relations and faced war if he moved towards independence. Since his controversial re-election in March, Chen has rejected Beijing?s cherished "one China" principle to govern relations between the mainland and the island it claims as a rebel province, but held out a chance for reconciliation with calls to swap offices and envoys.

?Do not underestimate the determination and capability of the Chinese government and people to maintain the motherland?s sovereignty and territorial integrity at all cost,? Li Weiyi, a spokesman for China?s policy-making Taiwan Affairs Office, told a news conference.

Any attempt to split Taiwan from China, based on expectations that Beijing?s role as Olympic host in 2008 would stop it from following up on its long-held threat to attack, would be tantamount to ?smashing one?s own foot with a rock?, Li said.

The comments come as US Vice President Dick Cheney meets top Chinese leaders in Beijing for talks in which he faces calls to end the sale of high-tech US weapons to Taiwan. Beijing says the weapons are encouraging the island?s pro-independence forces.

Jiang Zemin, chief of the Central Military Commission, told Cheney that relations were good but suggested their future hinged on the Taiwan issue, Xinhua news agency reported.

?Sino-US ties will have more room for development if the Taiwan issue is well handled,? Jiang said. Xinhua quoted Cheney as saying the United States did not support Taiwan independence and opposed any unilateral moves to alter the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, echoing previous US statements aimed a defusing the crisis. The Taiwan Affairs Office?s Li accused Chen of provoking China with his plans to hold a referendum on a new constitution in 2006 and to adopt it in 2008.

?In reality, this is a naked Taiwan independence timetable,? Li said, adding that Chen?s insistence that the referendum would not change the island?s political status quo was a ?saying to deceive people?.

Beijing has threatened to attack the self-governed democratic island of 23 million people if it declares independence.