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| China-Japan-Koreas |
| US opposes Â’provocativeÂ’ Taiwan referendum bid |
| 2007-12-22 |
| WASHINGTON - The United States opposes Taiwan’s plan to hold a referendum on joining the United Nations, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Friday, calling Taipei’s bid provocative and unhelpful. Taiwan’s ruling party plans to stage a referendum alongside presidential elections in March, ignoring warnings from Washington and threats from China, which claims sovereignty over the self-ruled island of 23 million. “We think that Taiwan’s referendum to apply to the United Nations under the name ’Taiwan’ is a provocative policy,” Rice said, restating US opposition both to Taiwan independence and to the use of force by China to solve the dispute. “It unnecessarily raises tensions in the Taiwan strait and it promises no real benefits for the people of Taiwan on the international stage -- that is why we oppose this referendum,” she told a news conference in Washington. Repeated attempts by Taiwan to join the United Nations under its formal name, the Republic of China, have failed, prompting the campaign to pursue membership under the name Taiwan. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #8 God forbid a vibrant democracy vote to decide on its future and thereby anger the fascist morons we are doing business with on the mainland. |
| Posted by: Excalibur 2007-12-22 15:56 |
| #7 As always lame SD. Rice has been a disapointment. |
| Posted by: Pholugum Stalin1270 2007-12-22 12:39 |
| #6 Why does Taiwan want to join the UN? Look at the migraine it is causing us? |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2007-12-22 12:39 |
| #5 Not necessarily. It's no longer part of China if the people there no longer want to be Chinese. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2007-12-22 12:22 |
| #4 What people forget it that Taiwan IS china proper. |
| Posted by: newc 2007-12-22 11:33 |
| #3 The state department opposes anything that threatens the status quo The state department opposes anything that hampers the enemies of Civilization. They're quite industrious in trying to change the status quo. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2007-12-22 08:11 |
| #2 The state department opposes anything that threatens the status quo. Including getting rid of petty dictators. I think there motto is, "Keep the world the way it is. We like it like this." |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2007-12-22 07:39 |
| #1 The vapors of Foggy Bottom... Resistance is futile, you will be diplomilated! |
| Posted by: Spike Uniter 2007-12-22 03:26 |