Chen must keep his pledge: AIT chief

American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Chairman Raymond Burghardt said yesterday that the US would take the pledge President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) made to him on Monday very seriously and watch carefully who says what before, during and after next March's referendum on applying to the UN under the name "Taiwan."

"I was reassured by President Chen's remarks, in which he stressed that he would not go back on his commitments to the `four noes,' that the referendum does not represent a step toward de jure independence, and that if it passes, it won't have significance beyond the words of the referendum itself. I think those are all important reassurances," Burghardt said.

The AIT chief -- who had a two-hour meeting with Chen on Monday -- made the remarks yesterday at a press conference that wrapped up a four-day trip in Taipei.

He said his visit was to "emphasize the US view concerning the stability of the Taiwan Strait," referring to "tensions" across the Strait raised by the government-backed referendum on a UN bid under the name "Taiwan."

Despite intensive communications, there has been no closing of the divide between Taiwan and the US on the issue.

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-proposed referendum is scheduled to be held alongside the March 22 presidential election and a KMT-sponsored referendum on returning to the UN as "Republic of China" and using whatever name was appropriate to join other international bodies.

The government has attempted to define the DPP-sponsored referendum as a way for voters to make their voice heard and to decouple it from independence and a change in the cross-strait "status quo."

The US remains concerned over the consequences for cross-strait stability of that referendum if it passes.

Burghardt applauded Chen's "reassurances" yesterday, but said "there is a lot of time between now and May and between the day after May for people to make expensive and elaborate statements on what the [DPP's] referendum means."

"People have to be very careful about statements and reactions [in relation to] the [DPP's] UN referendum, not only before, during the election, but also after the election," he said.

Burghardt said there is no question that cross-strait tensions have been raised not only because of the DPP-sponsored referendum itself but also by comments made by political figures.

While the US told Chen that what he has said and done concerning that referendum could "harm the new president's ability to get off on the right foot," it had "relayed the same message to Beijing," Burghardt said. "We said to Beijing, `Wait. There is going to be a new president [in Taiwan]. Don't overreact. Don't do stupid things' ... It's important to keep tensions under control."

Burghardt also met DPP presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) and his Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) rival Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) during his trip.

He refused to say how the two candidates had responded to the US' concerns, but said that "the period right after the election would be a period in which prudent statements and actions would be particularly important."

His remarks confirmed comments by local analysts that the goal of his visit was to communicate with Hsieh and Ma about the manner in which they would handle the result of the DPP's UN referendum and its impact on cross-strait relations.