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Taiwan hopes U.S. will not follow China's thinking on U.N. bid

ROC Central News Agency

2007-12-18 23:32:36

    Taipei, Dec. 18 (CNA) Taiwan is continuing communications with the United States in the hope that it will not follow China's rhetoric in thinking Taiwan's planned referendum on its U.N. bid is a step toward de jure Taiwan independence, the acting spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Tuesday.

    Phoebe Yeh said that after months of discussion and communications, both sides have realized that there is indeed a gap in understanding. "Taiwan is acutely aware of the U.S. concerns, and the United States knows perfectly Taiwan's stance, " Yeh said, adding that Taiwan has repeatedly expressed the hope that the United States will not follow China's rhetoric in seeing the U.N. bid is a step toward changing the status quo in the Taiwan Strait or seeking de jure Taiwan independence.

    Yeh said the ministry regrets the differences between the two countries over the referendum.

    A close look at remarks by U.S. officials -- from Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Thomas Christensen to American Institute in Taiwan Chairman Raymond Burghardt -- shows that the U.S. stance is consistent.

    However, she said, Taiwan has repeatedly explained to the United States that a deepening democracy will help peace and stability in East Asia.

    Yeh also said that Minister of Foreign Affairs James Huang will arrive in New York Tuesday and will exchange views on issues of mutual concern with the National Committee on American Foreign Policy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the resolution of conflicts that threaten U.S. interests.

    Yeh admitted that Huang will meet members of the think tank rather than U.S. officials, but she said he "should be able to meet the people he wants to meet." She did not elaborate.

    Yeh claimed that if the planned referendum on Taiwan's U.N. bid passes a vote held alongside the March 22 presidential election, it will give a "positive message to the international community that Taiwan people are keen on joining the world body."

    However, if the referendum fails, then it can be attributed to a lot of factors, including that the threshold for the referendum is too high, as well as a controversial voting format.

    But whether the referendum passes or not, more than 2 million people have signed their names to endorse the ruling Democratic Progressive Party-initiated referendum, which Yeh described as " significant in its own way."

    She added that whoever takes the helm of the nation after the March 22 presidential election, he will still have to address the issue of Taiwan's maneuvering space. "It is impossible not to think about soliciting the maneuvering space of Taiwan internationally, Yeh said, adding that this is why the nation needs to forge a consensus by holding the referendum.

(By Lilian Wu)

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