The United States opposes the notion of a referendum as to whether or not Taiwan joins the United Nations in the name of Taiwan, said a senior U.S. official in Washington on Monday.
"We see that as a step towards a declaration of independence of Taiwan, towards an alteration of the status quo," U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte said in an interview with Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV.
He said the U.S. considers the idea of referendum "a mistake".
He said Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian has made commitments to the American President, to the international community, and to the people of Taiwan not to take any kind of steps that would represent a unilateral alteration of the status quo, such as a change in the official name of Taiwan.
"What I would like to emphasize is that we believe it's important to avoid any kind of provocative steps on the part of Taiwan," he said.
Source: Xinhua
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