• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

U.S. ASKS TAIWAN TO CLARIFY IT 'DID NOT ABOLISH' UNIFICATION COUNCIL

ROC Central News Agency

2006-03-03 15:22:31

    Washington, March 2 (CNA) A U.S. official requested Thursday that Taiwan clarify that President Chen Shui-bian's recent move to "cease the function" of the National Unification Council (NUC) "did not abolish" the organization.

    Adam Ereli, deputy spokesman of the U.S. State Department, raised the issue in a written statement, in response to reports that senior officials in Taiwan have said there is no distinction between "abolish" and "ceasing activity" and that the effect of Taiwan's action earlier this week was to abolish the NUC.

    Ereli said the United States has been informed that the reports misquoted Taiwan officials. "We expect the Taiwan authorities publicly to correct the record and unambiguously affirm that the February 27 announcement did not abolish the National Unification Council, did not change the status quo, and that the assurances remain in effect," Ereli said.

    Ereli said Washington's understanding from Taipei was that the step was deliberately designed not to change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait, as Chen made clear in his seven-point statement issued concurrently with the announcement. "Abrogating an assurance would be changing the status quo, and that would be contrary to that understanding," he said. "We believe the maintenance of Taiwan's assurances is critical to preservation of the status quo. Our firm policy is that there should be no unilateral change in the status quo, as we have said many times," he added.

    Chen announced Feb. 27 his decision to cease the function of the NUC and cease the application of the National Unification Guidelines, a move which he promised "does not involve changing the status quo."

    Also, Chen stated that Taiwan has no intention of changing the cross-strait status quo and strongly opposes any attempts to use non-peaceful means to do so.

    Not to "abolish" the NUC and National Unification Guidelines was one of Chen's "five noes" promises that he made in his inaugural addresses of 2000 and 2004, under the prerequisite that "China has no intention of using force against Taiwan."

    Ereli had previously said the U.S. understanding of the meaning of ceasing the NUC's function is that "it has not been abolished. It's been frozen."

(By Oliver Lin and Y.F. Low)

ENDITEM/Li