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U.S. STILL CONCERNED ABOUT TAIWAN'S PLANNED REFERENDUM: LEGISLATOR

2004-02-09 14:34:13

    New York, Feb. 8 (CNA) The United States has continued to show concern about Taiwan's proposed referendum, and it will continue monitoring the situation and any changes ahead of the island's presidential election, a Republic of China legislator said in New York City Sunday.

    Chang Hsiao-yen, former ROC minister of foreign affairs and legislator from the opposition Kuomintang, who is currently on a visit to the United States, made the comments following meetings with White House and State Department officials, members of Congress, and members of several think tanks in New York and Washington, D.C.

    Chang said his discussions with the American officials and think tank members showed that the officials still see Taiwan's planned referendum as a serious problem and do not consider that the problem is over.

    The ruling Democratic Progress Party government has decided to hold a referendum on the same day of the forthcoming presidential election set for March 20.

    Pointing out that a former U.S. official who now is a member of a think tank of an American institute told him that the U.S. officials are not comfortable about the two questions which have been put forward by President Chen Shui-bian for the proposed referendum, Chang said that the statement made recently by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage in Beijing also shows Washington's worries about the island's motive for holding a referendum.

    Chen announced Jan. 16 in a pre-taped TV broadcast to the nation that he will ask the people of Taiwan to decide in the proposed referendum whether the nation should further strengthen its missile defense capabilities and whether it should try to work out a peace interactive mechanism with mainland China.

    Nevertheless, Armitage noted during his visit to Beijing last month that Taiwan's planned referendum "raised questions, " and indicated that Washington is still studying the two questions very carefully.

    Saying that the United States has been limited in what it can do in dealing with Taiwan's presidential campaign due to the campaign's sensitivity and difficulties, the legislator said that Washington can only express its concerns over the island's planned referendum.

    Meanwhile, Legislator Sun Kauo-hwo, who is also in New York for a visit, said that although the United States lauds Taiwan's democratic achievements and promises to not interfere in the island's presidential election, it is still paying great attention to the possible impact of the referendum on the stability of Asia-Pacific region since maintaining a stable situation in the region is vital for the United States.

(By C.Y. Cheng and P.C. Tang)

Enditem/Li