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U.S. REAFFIRMS CROSS-STRAIT STANCE AFTER TAIWAN PASSES REFERENDUM BILL

2003-11-29 14:45:08

Washington, Nov. 28 (CNA) The U.S. State Department said Friday that it respects the democratic process in Taiwan but opposes any attempt to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait or the use of force to solve bilateral differences.

An official of the State Department reaffirmed Washington's long-standing position on cross-strait relations after the Legislative Yuan in Taiwan passed a referendum bill Thursday night.

The official said that the United States advocates dialogue between mainland China and Taiwan which it believes is crucial to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

On Beijing's threat that Taiwan cannot use referendums or the introduction of a new constitution to move toward independence, the official said that the use of force is "unacceptable."

The United States holds that the differences between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait should be resolved by peaceful means that are acceptable to the people of the two sides of the strait, and not by military intimidation, the official said.

He said that the United States' one-China policy based on the Three Communiques with mainland China and the Taiwan Relations Act remains unchanged and that Washington will not support Taiwan independence.

(By Jay Chen and Lilian Wu)

ENDITEM/Li