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Bush changes topic after Hu asks for support on Taiwan

"We must persist and progress our opposition to China's egregious and unnecessary oversight until Taiwan is finally and fully accepted into the international community."

Sue Kelly, US Republican Congresswoman

Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) urged US President George W. Bush to help China oppose Taiwan's independence but received no public response from Bush when the two men met in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly's 60th anniversary meeting on Tuesday.

The meeting took place at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel not far from UN headquarters, as a crowd of Taiwanese Americans demonstrated outside in support of Taiwan.

While Hu brought up Taiwan at a photo opportunity the two held at the Waldorf, Bush concentrated on other issues, including North Korea, terrorism, trade, avian flu and human rights.

Hu said during the photo op that Bush had repeatedly stated his commitment to a "one China" policy, the three joint Sino-US communiques, and "opposition to so-called Taiwan independence, which I highly appreciate."

Hu then said, "I hope that the United States will join the Chinese side in safeguarding peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits [sic] and opposing so-called Taiwan independence."

Bush initially had no response to that, and omitted any reference to Taiwan in his public statement before the meeting, which was also attended by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley, according to the White House.

During the closed-door meeting, however, Bush reiterated Washington's position on Taiwan matters, according to a statement by Mike Green, the special assistant to the president for national security affairs and senior director for Asian affairs.

Before the meeting, Hu attended the opening session of the UN General Assembly. He was met by a Taiwanese-American rally demanding Taiwan's admission to the UN.

The rally's participants read statements from five US members of Congress in support of Taiwan's membership. They included Republican Representative Sue Kelly and the Congressional Taiwan Caucus co-chairman, Democratic Representative Sherrod Brown.

Democratic Representative Anthony Weiner said in his written statement that he believed "there is no question that the United States must stand strong and advocate for Taiwan's independence from China and inclusion as a United Nations member state," according to the pro-independence lobbying group, the Formosan Association for Public Affairs.

"The people of Taiwan have demonstrated that they are responsible citizens of the world. They deserve a voice and a seat at the UN," said Democratic Representative Edolphus Towns of New York.

Kelly added: "The Taiwanese people have shown themselves to possess both the resources and a unique creativity to contribute to the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund and other affiliate organizations ... We must persist and progress our opposition to China's egregious and unnecessary oversight until Taiwan is finally and fully accepted into the international community."
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