United States, China join forces to warn Taiwan over bid

Presidents George W. Bush and Hu Jintao warned Taipei that its proposed vote on whether to apply for United Nations membership under the name “Taiwan” was provocative and could propel the region into a “possibly dangerous period.”

At a meeting in Australia ahead of the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum summit, Hu said the move could destabilise the region and urged Bush to issue a stern warning to Taiwan.

“President Hu Jintao stressed that this year and next year is going to be a highly sensitive and possibly dangerous period of the situation in the Taiwan Straits,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told reporters.

“He said that in disregard of the warnings and objections of the relevant parties, the Taiwan authorities wantonly push for the (referendum) for the membership of Taiwan in the United Nations,” Liu said.

“He told President Bush that more serious warnings should be given to the Taiwan authorities, to make clear to them that any separatist activities in any form will lead to nowhere,” the spokesman said.

Independence-leaning Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian has vowed to press ahead with the poll despite opposition from Washington and Beijing, which regards the island as part of its territory awaiting reunification.

Bush, whose country has for decades supplied Taiwan with weaponry to defend itself from any possible attack from China, told Hu he too is worried about the move.

“We are concerned very much about this step that Taiwan has undertaken,” Bush’s deputy national security adviser, James Jeffrey, told reporters in a briefing after the two leaders met in Sydney.

“We also don’t want to see this blown up too big. We don’t want to see anyone provoked by the actions of the Taiwanese, so for the moment we’re going to stay with our position and continue to exert our good influence on the Taiwanese to see if we can change their position,” said Jeffrey.

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