Democratic Progressive Party Chairman Yu Shyi-kun yesterday denounced the US' "one China" policy as "outdated" and urged the US government to review it.
"The US' `one China' policy is self-contradictory," Yu said during a visit to a photography exhibition in Ilan.
"For example, the US has said Taiwan is not a country, but it regards our referendum [on seeking UN membership under the name `Taiwan'] as a move to change our national title. If we aren't a country, why do we have a national title?" he said.
Yu said that the US also contradicted itself by encouraging Taiwan to develop its democracy, but discouraging it from holding a referendum, joining the UN, writing a new constitution, changing its national title and declaring de jure independence.
Over the past months, US officials have on several occasions voiced opposition to President Chen Shui-bian's (
On Aug. 30, Dennis Wilder, senior director for East Asian affairs at the US National Security Council, told reporters that Taiwan's status was an undecided issue and that it was therefore not qualified to be a member of the UN.
Prior to this, US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte said on Aug. 27 that the US government opposed Taiwan's plan for a UN membership referendum because Washington believed it would constitute a move toward a declaration of de jure independence.
"There is no need for the US to be so nervous about this and oppose our proposed referendum on seeking UN membership because the referendum is a tool to demonstrate the will and resolution of the Taiwanese people," Yu said yesterday, while repeatedly stressing the value of the friendship between Washington and Taipei.
"The US is an important ally of our nation," Yu said.
Separately, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday said the nation should maintain the "status quo," rather than making any moves toward either unification with China or independence.
Ma also voiced concern about Taiwan-US relations, urging President Chen to prioritize the nation's interests.
"President Chen's planned referendum on a UN bid crossed the red line drawn by the US and has put Taiwan in a difficult situation," Ma said yesterday during a visit to Kaohsiung.
Ma said the KMT's version of the UN referendum did not address the issue of changing the "status quo," and therefore would not draw criticism from the US.
Additional reporting by Mo Yan-chih
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