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MOFA URGES PUBLIC NOT TO `OVERINTERPRET' NUC CESSATION

ROC Central News Agency

2006-03-03 18:33:38

    Taipei, March 3 (CNA) Minister of Foreign Affairs Huang Chih-fang urged the public Friday not to "overinterpret" the recent "ceasing to function" of the National Unification Council (NUC).

    Huang said "cease to function means cease to function" and that the public should stop making any more "unnecessary speculation" on the issue.

    According to the minister, the United States has demanded that Taiwan clarify that it "did not abolish" the NUC because China has complained to Washington about the matter.

    There have been media reports quoting officials in Taiwan as saying there is no distinction between "abolish" and "ceasing activity" and that the effect of President Chen Shui-bian's move to "cease the function" of the NUC was to "abolish" the organization.

    The reports have raised concern in Washington, with U.S. State Department Deputy Spokesman Adam Ereli releasing a written statement urging Taipei "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."

    On this matter, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) spokesman Michel Lu said the ministry already clarified to the United States that the reports are "mistaken" and that the officials have been misquoted.

    Lu said the English-language term "cease to function" was selected after taking into consideration various factors and the opinions of legal experts. "This is the term that we think best suits the situation, and we hope the public will not to make any unnecessary interpretation or inference," Lu said.

    Lu pointed out that while announcing his decision to cease the function of the NUC and cease the application of the National Unification Guidelines, Chen also said that the move "does not involve changing the status quo" across the Taiwan Strait and that the country has not intention of doing so.

    He said the episode was purely the result of the "mistaken" reports and that there is no gap or differences between Taiwan and the United States on the issue.

(By Y.F. Low)

ENDITEM/J