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 of 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."

The fact is that the consensus is nothing but a low-level semi-diplomatic aide memoire -- it can be denied anytime to suit one's purpose -- that enabled C.F. Koo, SEF chairman, to meet his Chinese opposite number Wang Daohan twice to settle a few outstanding issues across the Strait.

Wang was chairman of the Association for Relations across the Taiwan Strait.

Under the unsigned agreement, both Beijing and Taipei acknowledge there is but one China whose definition can be orally and individually expressed. It's a modus vivendi.

Beijing stresses the "one China" principle without its "different interpretation" corollary. The Kuomintang insists Taiwan has the right to interpret that one China as the Republic of China.

Hu Jintao's "one China" is the People's Republic of China, of course.

Lai had to meet the press twice in a row after Ma Ying-jeou, the president-elect, came under fire from within his own Kuomintang for having his premier-designate Liu Chao-shiuan name her as the new MAC chief.

With or without explanation, Lai could hardly convince anyone that she isn't going to be Ma's loyal supporter. Ma had her appointed as a counterbalance to P.K. Chiang and to slow down the new Beijing bandwagon on which Kuomintang leaders are jumping.Aside from her formal announcement of proselytism, Lai turned the news meeting in front of the official residence of the mayor of Taipei into a one-woman election campaign debate.

Fully aware a pro-unification crowd outside protesting against her, Lai denied again and again she remains an independence activist.

While she served as TSU lawmaker, Lai admitted, she professed her support for Taiwan independence.

"But by my effort," Lai declared, "I turned around the TSU and it's now above the issue of independence and unification."

She didn't say the TSU has given up independence as its raison d'etre, however.

"It's my efforts, which were crowned with success, that has made the TSU leave the controversy over independence versus unification behind," Lai pointed out.

The TSU party line now is "left of the middle," Lai said. But she emphasized that the party is "left," advocating environmental protection, cleanliness and peace.

There shouldn't be any such claim, however. President Lee, the spiritual leader of the TSU, alone can make the party he founded turn around.

Lai talked about her hopes to help the poor and the disadvantaged and lower unemployment for most part of her news meeting.