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US says Chen's remarks change nothing

President Chen Shui-bian, center, arrives at the DPP's headquarters to attend a meeting of the party's central standing committee yesterday. PHOTO: CHEN CHENG-CHANG, TAIPEI TIMES

The US has insisted that Taiwan's political future must be determined by "people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait," reiterating that its position on Taiwan's future hasn't changed.

The comment, by State Department spokesman Philip Reeker, came in response to questions by the media on President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) weekend comments urging the Legislative Yuan to pass a referendum law and stating that there is "one country on either side of the Taiwan Strait."

Reeker's statement echoes one the department issued shortly after Chen declared in a speech marking his elevation to the chairmanship of the DPP that Taiwan will go its "own way" if China does not agree to talks soon without preconditions.

The official reaction, observers in Washington say, reflects an effort by the Bush administration to play down Chen's remarks, portraying them as a simple rehash of former president Lee Teng-hui's (李登輝) redefinition of cross-strait relations as "state to state" in nature in 1999.

"The US policy, which is a long-standing one, is a `one China' policy, and our policy has not changed at all," Reeker told reporters, reiterating a statement the White House made Sunday from Kennebunkport, Maine, where President Geroge W. Bush was on holiday.

"We believe that issues between [Taiwan] and the People's Republic of China are matters to be resolved by the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. Our interest and concern is that any resolution be peaceful, and that policy has not changed at all," Reeker said.

Asked whether Washington's "one China" policy had been rendered "threadbare" in view of statements repeatedly issued by President Chen and his predecessor, Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), that Taiwan is already a sovereign state, Reeker simply replied, "No."

Suspecting that Chen's statements might cause a "bombshell" in Washington, Taiwan's unofficial ambassador, C. J. Chen (程建人), the head of the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Relations Office (TECRO), phoned the State Department the night before informing the US of the impending speech, sources say. However, TECRO officials and State Department spokesmen could not confirm that.

Washington is clearly uncertain at this point how to balance the Bush administration's strong support for Taiwan with its effects to improve relations with Beijing. Chen's comments came a day after the White House announced that Bush will welcome Chinese President Jiang Zemin (江澤民) at his ranch in Crawford, Texas Oct. 25, just before the ministerial meeting of APEC in Mexico and before the critical 16th Chinese Communist Party Congress.

The invitation to the ranch, rather than to the White House's Oval Office, is seen as a sign Bush wants to emphasize America's friendship with China at a time both are engaged in a fight against global Muslim terrorism.

Meanwhile, arrangements for Mainland Affairs Council Chairman Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to visit Washington this week to explain Chen's remarks to officials here are still up in the air, as Taiwan officials try to find people in town for her to meet.

With Washington on an official month-long August holiday, all members of Congress are out of town, as are many administration officials. While Secretary of State Colin Powell and his deputy Richard Armitage will be in town, key policymakers such as Assistant Secretary for Asia James Kelly will not.

Bush was scheduled to head to his ranch in Texas yesterday, as will many of his top aides.

In addition, Tsai decided to make the trip only after Chen's speech, limiting the time arrangements could be made. Tsai accompanied Premier Yu Shyi-kun and his party to New York en route to Latin America and plans to split off today for Washington.
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