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U.S. UNDERSTANDING IS CHEN DID NOT ABOLISH NUC: STATE DEPARTMENT

ROC Central News Agency

2006-02-28 12:34:36

    Washington, Feb. 27 (CNA) In response to President Chen Shui-bian's decision to cease the operations of the National Unification Council, the State Department said Monday that "it's our understanding that President Chen did not abolish it, and he reaffirmed Taiwan's commitment to the status quo." "We attach great importance to that commitment and we'll be following his follow-through carefully, " State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said during a regular briefing.

    As usual, he began his answers to reporters' questions concerning Taiwan by saying that "our policy on cross-strait relations has not changed. Our one-China policy is based on the three communiques and the Taiwan Relations Act. We are, of course, opposed to any unilateral change to the status quo by either side, and we do not support Taiwan independence." "I would note today that President Chen reaffirmed his continuing commitment to the pledges he made in his 2000 inaugural address not to change the status quo across the strait. And we continue to stress the need for Beijing to open a dialogue with the elected leadership in Taiwan," Ereli added.

    In response to a Xinhua News Agency reporter's question about whether Chen's move represents a change to the status quo and what the U.S. definition of a change to the status quo is, Ereli said: "I think President Chen has said that he is committed to the status quo and that he is committed to the pledges in his inaugural speech.... We attach great importance to those commitments and we will be following events closely."

    As to what the U.S. will be following closely, he said the U.S. continues to stress the importance of dialogue between Beijing and Taiwan on cross-straits issues. "It is important, we believe, that resolution of this issue avoid unilateral steps and focus on dialogue. And that's the tact that we encourage both sides to take, " he added.

    He reiterated that his understanding of the meaning of ceasing the NUC's functions is that "it has not been abolished. It's been frozen." Chen himself has said that he is committed to the status quo, and that he is committed to his inaugural pledges, and "that is an important statement of policy, " Ereli said. Since Chen has reaffirmed that he is committed to his inaugural pledges, "we're going to hold him to those pledges, " he added.

    He stressed that the United States has "a very clear and consistent policy that is focused on preventing either side from taking unilateral actions that affect the status quo." "So it's very important -- the public statements that we've heard from Chen today, and it's very important that based on those public statements and based on what the leadership of Taiwan has said is a commitment not to change the status quo, that you move beyond the news of the day and talk about the real issues that are causing problems," he said. "The United States is working to promote a resolution of cross-strait differences, and that's the objective that we're going to continue to focus on," he added.

(By Oliver Lin and S.C. Chang)

enditem/Li