CHINA / US Policy
US urges Taiwan to correct comments on council
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-03-04 10:28
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. State Department on Thursday asked the Taiwan
authorities to correct their comments that there is no distinction
between "abolish" and "ceasing activity" with regard to the "National
Unification Council."
"We have seen reports that senior Taiwan officials have said, with
respect to the 'National Unification Council', that there is no
distinction between 'abolish' and 'ceasing activity' and that the effect
of Taiwan's action earlier this week was to abolish the Council," the
State Department said in a statement.
"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," the statement added.
Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian declared on Feb. 27 that the "National
Unification Council" (NUC) would "cease to function" and that the
"National Unification Guidelines" would "cease to apply,"which has drawn
immediate opposition and condemnation from major political parties and
groups on the island.
And at the same time, many countries in the world have reiterated their
stand on adhering to the one-China policy and opposing Chen's move of
advancing "Taiwan independence".
"Our understanding from the authorities in Taiwan was that the action
Taiwan took on February 27 was deliberately designed not to change the
status quo," the U.S. State Department's statement said.
"Abrogating an assurance would be changing the status quo, and that would
be contrary to that understanding," the statement added.
"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," said
the statement.
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20071123 Extracted from http://www.hellomandarin.net
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