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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: RealMuLan who wrote (121088)	12/8/2003 4:15:08 PM
From: Lazarus_Long	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

The United States, under the Taiwan Relations Act, has pledged to defend Taiwan if it is attacked by the mainland. nytimes.com On Eve of Chinese Premier's Visit, White House Warns Taiwan By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Published: December 8, 2003 Filed at 3:06 p.m. ET WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Bush administration warned Taiwan on Monday against any steps that could move the island toward independence, including an upcoming referendum. It also warned China against using force or taking other provocative steps to further increase tensions across the Taiwan Strait. On the eve of a visit to the White House from Chinese Premier Wen Jiabo, U.S. officials were far more explicit on Taiwan than they have been in the past, dropping a longtime policy of deliberate ambiguity in its ``one China'' policy. A senior administration official who briefed a group of reporters at the White House on the condition of anonymity said that Taiwan in recent days ``seems to be pushing the envelope pretty vigorously'' in issues related to Taiwan's future status. That makes the administration uncomfortable, the official said. The official criticized a March 20 referendum in Taiwan asking voters to demand that China stop threatening the island and remove hundreds of missiles aimed at the island. The referendum was proposed by Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian. Since nearly every citizen on Taiwan would obviously like to see China remove those missiles, it's not clear what purpose the referendum would serve other than to underscore the obvious, and it could prompt China to dig in its heels further, the official said. This official said Taiwan's leaders have been told very clearly and authoritatively that the United States opposes any changes to the status quo. U.S. policy for years has been deliberately ambiguous on Taiwan, but it is now less ambiguous than ever, the official said. Publicly, U.S. officials declare that there had been no change in U.S. policy. ``I'm sure the issue of Taiwan will come up,'' said State Department spokesman Richard Boucher. ``The Chinese are quite clear on our position. They understand what we've said before. And we'll be happy to make very clear once again our one-China policy.'' China regards Taiwan as a renegade province. The United States, under the Taiwan Relations Act, has pledged to defend Taiwan if it is attacked by the mainland. The senior administration official also said that Bush, when he meets with Wen on Tuesday, will again press for China to float its currency on foreign exchange markets. But the administration said it recognizes that China cannot free its currency, now pegged to the U.S. dollar, at once, because it would result in economic instability. Still, the official said, the administration believes China is committed to eventually allowing its currency to rise and fall with market forces. U.S. manufacturers claim that the artificial link between China's currency and the dollar is keeping goods from China inexpensive in the United States while making U.S. products too expensive there.