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U.S. VOICES OPPOSITION TO BEIJING'S ANTI-SECESSION LAW

ROC Central News Agency

2005-03-15 13:22:03

    Washington, March 14 (CNA) The U. S. State Department again voiced its concern over Beijing's Anti-Secession Law Monday, calling the law's passage earlier the same day "unfortunate" and reiterating its opposition to the use of force to decide Taiwan's future.

    State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said in a regular news briefing that "the decision by the Chinese leaders to have the National People's Congress adopt an anti-secession law is unfortunate. It really does not serve the cause of peace and stability on the Taiwan Strait, and for that reason, we believe it to be unhelpful."

    Pointing out that the enactment of the law runs counter to the recent warming trends in cross-strait relations, Boucher said that the law only serves to harden positions. "We oppose any attempts to determine the future of Taiwan by other than peaceful means, and will continue to encourage both sides to engage in peaceful dialogue to solve their differences," he added.

    When asked if Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will send any constructive message to the Beijing leadership during her trip to mainland China later this week, Boucher said: "We will be talking about it with people in the region. We will be talking about it certainly with the Chinese." "Our view remains that they need to move in the direction of peaceful dialogue. She will encourage them to do that and look forward to hearing from them as to how they might be willing to move in that direction," he said.

    Commenting on the impact of the law on the U. S. discussions with the European Union regarding the latter's possible lifting of its arms embargo against the mainland, Boucher said: "Certainly the prospect that China would use non-peaceful means to try to resolve differences with Taiwan should be as disserving to the Europeans as it is to us."

    On the large-scale rally being organized by Taiwan for or March 26 to protest the Anti-Secession Law, Boucher said: "We don't have any particular view of a demonstration or a counterreaction, as hypothetical as it is right now, " adding that: "We have encouraged both sides to look for opportunities for dialogue and to avoid any step to try to define unilaterally some kind of resolution to their differences." "Neither side is going to get anywhere with unilateral steps," he pointed out.

(By Oliver Lin and Flor Wang)

ENDITEM/Li