US Trade Representative-designate Robert Zoellick said Tuesday that the George W. Bush administration adamantly supported Taiwan's entry into the WTO as a separate entity from China.
Zoellick, Bush's selection to be his top international trade official, gave the assurances in testimony at his confirmation hearing before the US senate's finance committee.
"The administration will have no weakness on this issue," Zoellick said in response to questioning by Senator Jon Kyl, one of Taiwan's strongest supporters in the US Congress.
Zoellick pledged to abide by the 1992 agreement in which Taiwan is to be admitted to the WTO as "the separate customs territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu" after China gains entry.
Late last year, the Beijing delegation to the world trade group attempted to include in its admission papers language that described Taiwan as a separate customs territory of China. The attempt was met with widespread derision and Beijing quickly backed off.
"Not long ago, before I was named," Zoellick said, "I had some contacts with some of the officials in [China], and I stressed that any effort to mess this up would be an explosive issue here."
Zoellick also noted that a year and a half ago, he warned Hong Kong not to try to block Taiwan's entry after learning that Hong Kong had yet to endorse the nation's membership application.
"I actually had a meeting with Tung Chee-hwa (
Zoellick said the people of Taiwan are "justifiably proud" of their democracy and economic success, and that the new generation is "tired of being treated like outcasts."
"One of the best things for Taiwan -- and in my view for Beijing -- is to give these people a little space so that they can have an opportunity to feel that they are part of the system" through WTO membership, he said.
Zoellick, a fierce free-trader and a key negotiator whose work led to the founding of the WTO, has spent much of his life putting together free trade agreements.
He reminded the committee that he also took part in the negotiations that brought Taiwan, Hong Kong and China into APEC.
Zoellick is expected to be quickly confirmed by the Senate.
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