US President George W. Bush said in Washington Tuesday that he
opposed a Taiwan referendum which might lead the island towards
independence, and his stance was appreciated by visiting Premier Wen
Jiabao.
The two leaders held a small group meeting in the White House
first and then met reporters in the Oval office.
The US government "opposes any unilateral decision'' by either
sides of Taiwan Straits "to change the status quo, and the comments
and actions made by the leader of Taiwan indicate that he way be
willing to make decisions unilaterally to change the status quo,
which we oppose,'' said President Bush.
He said the US government holds a one-China policy based on the
three communiques and the Taiwan Relations Act.
Wen, who flew into Washington on Monday night from New York,
expressed his appreciation for Bush's commitment to the three
China-US joint communiques and the one-China policy.
"In particular, we very much appreciate the position adopted by
President Bush towards the latest moves and developments in Taiwan,
that is, the attempt to resort to referenda of various kinds as an
excuse to pursue Taiwan independence,'' said Wen.
He reiterated China's position of resorting to peaceful means to
seek reunification as long as "there is a glimmer of hope.''
However, he said that the so-called "defensive referendum''
proposed by Taiwan authorities aims at separating Taiwan from
China, which is totally intolerable.
Since Taiwan lawmakers passed a bill allowing referendum last
month, which is seen by Beijing as a step towards independence,
cross-Straits tensions have escalated.
On bilateral trade, Wen said the main problem between the two
countries is the US trade deficit with China.
He said China takes it seriously and has taken measures to solve
this problem.
In the past 25 years since the two countries established
diplomatic relations, bilateral trade has experience tremendous
expansion, from a mere US$2.5 billion in 1979 to over US$100
billion today.
Wen said such an achievement is not easily made and the
development of relations in these fields benefits both countries
and peoples.
He said he will offer proposals in the later large group meeting
with Bush on furthering bilateral economic and trade relations.
Bush thanked China for starting the six-party talks on nuclear
issues on the Korean Peninsula.
"We will continue to work with China and other countries
involved to resolve this issue peacefully,'' he said.
Before their meeting in the White House, Bush held a welcoming
ceremony for Wen.
"Our cooperation in a wide range of areas such as
counter-terrorism, the economy, trade and international and
regional issues has effectively safeguarded our mutual interests
and promoted peace, stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific
region and the world at large,'' said Wen in his speech.
"The fundamental interests of our two peoples and the people
around the world require that China and the United States step up
cooperation, increase mutual trust and further push forward
constructive and cooperative bilateral relations,'' Wen added.
He called on leaders from both countries to view and handle
China-US relations from a historic perspective and with strategic
foresight and courage.
"So long as the two sides continue to strictly abide by the
principles set forth in the three Sino-US Joint Communiques and
boost cooperation, our relations will keep moving forward
steadily,'' said Wen.
The Chinese premier Tuesday also met Speaker of the House Dennis
Hastert and attended a banquet hosted by Secretary of State Colin
Powell.
Focusing on Taiwan
Speaking to reporters after a 40-minute meeting with Bush in the
Oval Office, Wen said China "respects the desire of the people in
Taiwan for democracy," but that some Taiwanese leaders were "only
using democracy as an excuse" to move toward splitting Taiwan away
from China, which the Beijing government "cannot tolerate."
Wen said China is determined to uphold its "one-China policy"
and maintain "national unity," but also would not give up "our
aspiration for peaceful reunification."
After a welcoming ceremony on the South Lawn featuring an honor
guard and a 19-gun salute, Bush escorted Wen into the White House
past rows of Chinese and US flags. The visit by the 61-year-old
premier, who took office in March, marks the first official trip to
the United States by a new generation of Chinese leaders.
In a speech before beginning talks with Wen, Bush hailed Chinese
cooperation in meeting global threats, saying the two nations are
"working together in the war on terror" and "fighting to defeat a
ruthless enemy." He called the United States and China "partners in
diplomacy working to meet the dangers of the 21st century."
Wen also cited Chinese cooperation in "counter-terrorism," among
other issues, and said relations with the United States have "stood
the test of time." But he added that the two countries now stand
"at a crucial juncture" and said improvement in the relationship
depends on continued US adherence to the one-China policy, under
which Beijing holds that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China and
can never become independent.
For his part, Bush sought to persuade China to revalue its
currency, the yuan. Bush told Wen he favors "market-determined
exchange rates." The Chinese prime minister said the transition to
such rates is "a complex process" and said US and Chinese officials
have agreed to discuss the issue next month in Beijing.
"Statement of a Shadow"
In comments before Bush made his statement, Taiwanese
authorities vowed to go ahead with the referendum despite US
pressure to call it off. A Taiwan authorities spokesman dismissed a
warning from a senior US official who spoke to reporters earlier on
condition of anonymity.
"I cannot respond to a statement of a shadow," said James Huang,
a spokesman for Chen Shui-bian, the Taiwan leader, referring to the
anonymous warning.
On Monday, a Bush administration official, speaking to reporters
without attribution, bluntly warned Taiwan against holding the
March referendum. "We don't want such a referendum," the official
told reporters. "We're not clear what logical purpose it would
serve."
(China Daily December 9, 2003)