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Bush criticism will not sway us: Hsieh

The nation should continue to pursue its goal of being recognized as an independent nation under the name "Taiwan" in the international community, even if US President George W. Bush were to speak out against the planned referendum on UN membership, Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) said yesterday.

"I would not be surprised if Bush comes out and says he opposes [the referendum]. What surprised me was the opposition from within the [Taiwan]," Hsieh said.

His remarks came in the wake of speculation that US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice might be planning to issue a statement in opposition to the referendum to ratchet up pressure on the Taiwanese government, which has vowed to go ahead with the referendum despite warnings from several high-level US officials in recent months.

"Every country considers its own national interest. We should pursue Taiwan's interests, its dignity and future by ourselves. This can't be done through someone else, and neither should we leave the problem to the next generation," Hsieh said.

Opposition to the referendum from the US and EU reflected China's growing influence, Hsieh said.

He made the remarks when answering reporters' questions at a press conference where figurines resembling himself and vice presidential candidate Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) were introduced.

When asked to comment on a phrase Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) vice presidential candidate Vincent Siew (蕭萬長) used in his new book, Managing the Nation: Winning Strategies for Taiwan, in which he wrote that "Taiwan is an independent country," Hsieh said he believed that the contention reflected Siew's "inner voice."

"Siew has since denied it. That is unfair and unfavorable to Taiwan. He should not oppose the nation's aspiration to enter the international community using the name Taiwan because of electoral factors. We should all defend Taiwan," Hsieh said.

He said a statement Siew recently made to American Institute in Taiwan Chairman Raymond Burghardt, that the KMT's insistence on the two-step voting format was meant to defeat the UN referendum proposal, would only make foreigners belittle Taiwan.

Cabinet Spokesman Shieh Jhy-wey (謝志偉) said at a separate setting yesterday that the government had learned that Bush might make a public statement regarding the US' position on the referendum, although that would not change the government's decision.

When approached by reporters for comment in response to Hsieh's remarks about Siew, KMT presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said yesterday that Siew had merely been using colloquial language in his book.

It has always been the KMT's stance that Taiwan is the Republic of China, and that both names represent independent sovereignty, Ma said.

Additional reporting by staff writer
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