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Taiwan issue expected to be raised at Bush-Hu meeting: U.S. official

ROC Central News Agency

2007-08-31 16:31:56

    Washington, Aug. 30 (CNA) The issue of Taiwan's push for a referendum on its U.N. bid is expected to be discussed during upcoming talks between U.S. President George W. Bush and Chinese President Hu Jintao at next month's meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, a White House official said Thursday.

    Dennis Wilder, senior director for Asian affairs of the National Security Council, said he can "almost guarantee" that Hu will raise the topic with Bush, noting that he has "almost never been to a meeting with Chinese officials where the subject of Taiwan didn't come up." "Hu usually wants a recommitment by the United States to three communiques and to our standing one China policy. I'm sure the president will be willing to give him that, " Wilder said during a press briefing on Bush's planned attendance at the informal leadership summit of APEC slated for Sept. 8-9 in Sydney, Australia.

    Wilder said the United States is very supportive of Taiwan on many fronts, such as its participation in international organizations, including APEC and the World Health Organization.

    However, Wilder said this does not include membership in the United Nations, which requires statehood, because "Taiwan, or the Republic of China, is not at this point a state in the international community." "The position of the United States government is that the ROC, Republic of China, is an issue undecided, and it has been left undecided, as you know, for many, many years," he said.

    Wilder said it is "perplexing" to Washington as to why Taiwan thinks it would be useful to hold a referendum on the U.N. issue.

    According to Wilder, Taiwan is not going to be able to join the United Nations under current circumstances, and the move only "adds a degree of tension" to cross-strait relations.

    Meanwhile, Wilder urged China to work to lower the tensions across the Taiwan Strait, in light of the large-scale military build-up opposite Taiwan, and reach out to the duly elected leaders in Taiwan.

    Over the past few months, U.S. government officials have on many occasions expressed opposition to Taiwan's plan to hold a referendum on the U.N. bid on the grounds that it would increase tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

    In an interview on Hong Kong-based Phoenix Star TV Monday, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte said the United States is opposed to the referendum because Washington sees it as a step "towards a declaration of independence of Taiwan" and "towards an alteration of the status quo."

(By Chiehyu Lin and Y.F. Low)

ENDITEM/Li