(2003-12-05) -- Survey results released today reveal that citizens of Taiwan would reject a proposal to withdrawal ballistic missiles aimed at them from the Chinese mainland.

President Chen Shui-bian of Taiwan had announced recently that he would hold a referendum about the missiles in March 2004.

But the poll, taken by the People's Republic Polling Agency, showed that 98.7 percent of Taiwanese feel "comforted" that their future lies in the hands of Communist leaders in Beijing. Slightly more than 99.5 percent of Taiwanese also oppose any effort to get China to renounce the use of force against their island.

The People's Republic Polling Agency said the survey consisted of several interviews with Chinese government bureacrats in Beijing yesterday.

"The poll has no margin of error," according to a spokesman, "since Taiwan is one with China, there is no need to interview people on the island to find out what they think. Chinese government officials are in perfect harmony with the wishes of the Taiwanese."