the National Unification Council despite his party's supportive stance on Taiwan independence. In his Chinese New Year address on January 29, 2006, President Chen Shui-bian proposed abolishing the National Unification Guidelines and the National Unification Council. On February 27, 2006, Chen formally announced that the guideline would "cease to apply" and the council would "cease to function". The United States initially warned Chen not to abolish either the council or the guidelines, but later refused to condemn him because it believed the absence of the term "abolish" was not a breach of the status quo. However, Chen was widely condemned by the People's Republic of China, which warned that Chen "would bring disaster to Taiwan society." The Pan-Blue Coalition also condemned the move as unnecessarily provocative, arguing that Chen needed to focus on economic issues in the face of a growing unemployment and suicide rate, and some legislators started a petition to have Chen impeached. Chen defended his action as a response to the military threat from mainland China. Without the legal constraints of the NUG, Chen's successor, President Ma Ying-jeou, has been able to usher in an era of unprecedented exchanges between Mainland China and Taiwan since 2008. See also Legal status of Taiwan Political status of Taiwan References Newsday: Taiwan's tweak Radio Australia: Taiwan's opposition to push for impeachment External links The Guidelines for National Unification Politics of Taiwan 1991 documents