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Ministry downplays US response to referendums

Minister of Foreign Affairs Eugene Chien (簡又新) said yesterday that comments by the US State Department on Tuesday could not be interpreted as the US' opposition to Taiwan's independence.

The US "does not support" rather than "opposes" Taiwan's independence, Chien said, responding to remarks by State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher that the US "would be opposed to any referenda that would change Taiwan's status or move towards independence."

A statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said State Department Deputy Spokesman Adam Ereli clarified shortly after Boucher's press briefing that the US' policy toward Taiwan had not changed.

"The US does not support Taiwan's independence," the statement quoted Ereli as saying. That does not mean the US is opposed to Taiwan's independence, the statement said.

Chinese-language media reported yesterday that the US, unnerved by President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) plan to hold a "defensive referendum" with next year's presidential election, is considering to restate former US president Bill Clinton's "three noes" endorsement of China's line against Taiwan.

But Chien said that as far as he knows, the US is not considering a reintroduction of Clinton's "three noes" -- that the US will not support Taiwan's independence, its admission to the UN or a compromise solution that would create two separate Chinas.

"President Chen has said the `defensive referendum' will not touch upon the independence issue. The `defensive referendum' is like a hat. Chen has not said what issue will be put into the hat," Chien explained.

Local media reported the State Department began reviewing Clinton's "three noes" pledge following the US National Security Council Senior Director for Asian Affairs James Moriarty's visit to Taipei on Monday.

Moriarty reportedly met with high-ranking government officials under the accompaniment of Director of American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Douglas Paal and had left for Beijing. But Chien said he knew nothing about the visit.

The AIT yesterday denied that the State Department urgently summoned Paal back to Washington to discuss the defensive referendum issue. An AIT spokesman said Paal does not have an immediate plan to leave Taiwan.

Some lawmakers in the legislature's Foreign and Overseas Chinese Affairs Committee yesterday viewed the recent intense official visits between Taiwan and the US as an unusual development in the two sides' relations.

Chien described current Taiwan-US relations as "good."

Over the past few months, Secretary-General of the Presidential Office Chiou I-jen (邱義仁) and Mainland Affairs Council Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) have visited Washington to explain Taiwan's constitutional reform and referendum plans.

Antonio Chiang (江春男), deputy secretary general of the National Security Council, is reportedly in the US now for the same reason.

Lawmakers expressed concern about whether the issues have become so complicated that the US demanded face-to-face communications with Taiwanese officials to clear their doubts.

Meanwhile, Chien will lead a task force to monitor Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's (溫家寶) upcoming trip to the US.

"The US has promised us they will not damage Taiwan's rights in their negotiations with China," Chien said.
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