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Taiwan-U.S. differences over U.N. bid remain: official

ROC Central News Agency

2007-09-12 15:59:33

    Taipei, Sept. 12 (CNA) Taiwan understands the United States' stance concerning the referendum initiative on the country's bid for U.N. membership and regrets that differences between the two sides on the issue have failed to be smoothed out, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) spokesman said Wednesday.

    Wang Chien-yeh made the remarks in response to CNA inquiries on a public speech delivered by Thomas Christensen, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, at the Defense Industry Conference organized by the U.S.-Taiwan Business Council in Annapolis, Md., Tuesday.

    On the occasion, Christensen addressed clearly the U.S. government's strong opposition to the referendum initiative being promoted by President Chen Shui-bian and his administration on the country's bid to join the United Nations under the name Taiwan.

    In response, Wang said the initiative marks "a spontaneous request by Taiwan's grass roots to the administration." He added that the referendum proposal has won a high level of public support and that the ruling and opposition parties have also reached a consensus on pushing for a referendum on the U.N. bid.

    Mentioning China's suppression of Taiwan by every possible means, including enacting an anti-secession law in 2003 and increasing its military deployment targeting Taiwan, Wang said the United States, located on the other side of the Pacific Ocean, could never understand the sense of suppression that Taiwan feels from China. "Washington has kept saying that it wants to hear the Taiwan people's voice, and now the referendum plan reflects the Taiwan people's opinion," Wang said.

    He stressed that Taiwan treasures the United States' friendship and is unwilling to see the friendship harmed by the issue which he said "meets every core value of democracy."

    On the "cognitive differences" between the two sides on the referendum plan, Wang said the MOFA will continue to work to boost communication with the U.S. government.

(By Elizabeth Hsu)

ENDITEM/Li