US cautions Taiwan over referendum

9 December 2003, 18:00 PM

AFP, Washington

The United States on Monday signalled to Taiwan it did not approve of President Chen Shui-bian's proposed referendum on Beijing's missile threat, less than 24 hours before China's premier is due at the White House.

In the most explicit reaction yet to Chen's weekend announcement on the vote, a senior US official said President George W. Bush's administration failed to see how the plan would enhance the nationalist island's security.

The official also conceded that the United States had been forced by actions of both China and Taiwan to dilute the "strategic ambiguity" that has for years cloaked its likely response to any mainland invasion of the island.

"We don't welcome such a referendum," a senior administration official told reporters.

"We are not clear what logical purpose it would serve."

"I can tell you right now that 99.6 percent of the Taiwan people would love to see the mainland withdraw its missiles -- confirming that fact through a referendum to an extent sort of confirms the obvious.

"It seems more about Taiwan's domestic politics having the President show he can hold a referendum by using the excuse of a security threat whenever he wants to."