|
|||||
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
 |
 |
    |
|
|
|||
 |
|
||
|
|||
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
Taiwan Persists on Chinese Missile Referendum Despite U.S. Opposition
Chinese President Chen Shui-ban said today that he still plans to hold a referendum next year on whether to demand the removal of Chinese ballistic missiles currently targeting the island, despite opposition stated yesterday by U.S. President George W. Bush (see GSN, Dec. 9). After meeting with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao yesterday at the White House, Bush said the United States opposed “any unilateral decision by either China or Taiwan to change the status quo.” “The comments and actions made by the leader of Taiwan indicate that he may be willing to make decisions unilaterally to change the status quo, which we oppose,” Bush said. Analysts said Bush’s remarks were the harshest directed toward a Taiwanese leader in decades, according to CNN.com. Wen said that he “appreciated” Bush’s statement. Today, however, Chen said that he would still continue with the referendum, scheduled to be held in March. “A defensive referendum is for avoiding war and to help keep the Taiwanese people free of fear,” Chen said at a meeting with U.S. Representative Dan Burton (R-Ind.) in Taipei. “We have no intention to change the status quo, but nor do we allow the status quo being forced to change. We want to maintain a status quo of peace and stability instead of one of missile deployment and military threat,” Chen said (CNN.com, Dec. 10).
| ||||||||||
Back to top
