She called a press conference, the second one in as many days, to declare she espoused what Su Chi, a former MAC chairman, calls the consensus of 1992.

The incoming China policy coordinator used to be a Taiwan independence activist, a protege of former President Lee Teng-hui.

"I have faith in the agreement on one China with a different interpretation as the consensus of 1992," Lai told reporters.

It was a reiteration of her proselytism professed before the press Wednesday night with P.K. Chiang, chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation, as a witness.

But what she said is a mere play on words.

According to Su Chi, who is expected to be secretary-general of the National Security Council, the consensus of 1992 is an unsigned agreement on "one China with a different interpretation."

Lai has just changed the wording.

On the other hand, Lai stressed she is going along with Ma Ying-jeou's litany of "no independence," "no unification" and "no use of force" across the Taiwan Strait.

"Fundamentally," Lai pointed out, "there's no difference, no disagreement, between us."

Whatever she said, there's a big difference in interpretation of the consensus of 1992, a sine qua non for resumption of dialogue between Taiwan and China.

President George W. Bush, in a recent telephone conversation with his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao, called for dialogue across the Strait "on the basis of the 1992 consensus."

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