China Thursday urged the United States not to allow Taiwan's Lee Teng-hui to visit America so as to avoid serious damages to bilateral ties.
China is adamantly opposed to the US allowing Lee to visit under any identity and for any reason, and has time and again made solemn representations with the US side over this matter, foreign ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao said at the regular press conference.
Zhu's response came when asked to comment on recent reports that Lee would visit the US at the invitation of Cornell University.
It should be pointed out that Lee is absolutely not an ordinary citizen, but a politician engaged in activities meant to split China, Zhu said, citing the fact that Lee was engaged in separatist activities at Cornell University in 1995 and concocted his notorious "two states" theory in 1999.
Lee is a representative of the Taiwan independence force and a clear-cut "troublemaker," said Zhu, pointing out Lee's current attempt to visit US is politically motivated.
China calls on the US to earnestly abide by the One-China principle, the three Sino-US joint communiques and relevant commitments it has made, and not to permit Lee's visit, Zhu stated.
(People’s Daily 09/08/2001)
