Taiwan's President Chen Shui-bian will this week scrap token commitments to future unification with China, ignoring US pressure to avoid angering Beijing by taking steps that could move the island towards formal independence.

People close to the president said he would move today or tomorrow to scrap the National Unification Council (NUC), which is in charge of working towards unification with China, together with a set of guidelines declaring unification with the mainland a long-term national goal.