China says checking Taiwan independence in common interests

BEIJING—China said on Tuesday that opposing and checking “Taiwan independence” is in the common interests of China and the United States.
“Opposing and checking ‘Taiwan independence’ is crucial to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the Asia-Pacific region, and is in the interests of both China and the U.S.,” said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu at a regular press conference. Jiang was responding to a question on whether during their meeting on the sidelines of the 15th APEC economic leaders’ informal meeting, slated for Sept. 3-9 in Sydney, Australia, Chinese President Hu Jintao and his U.S. counterpart George W. Bush will touch on the referendum scheme of Taiwan authorities that aims to seek UN membership.
Jiang confirmed that Hu and Bush will have a meeting but did not say whether their meeting will touch on the referendum plan of Taiwan authorities, which has been opposed and criticized by the U.S. as “a mistake” and “a step towards a declaration of independence of Taiwan, towards an alteration of the status quo.”
She repeated China’s hope that the U.S. will strictly adhere to its commitments to sticking to the one-China policy, abiding by the three joint communiqués between China and the U.S. and opposing “Taiwan independence”, and work with China to jointly safeguard peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and the general situation of China-U.S. relations.
Jiang said moves of Taiwan authorities concerning the referendum plan are secessionist acts that attempt to separate Taiwan from China. “We resolutely oppose it and will closely follow development of the situation,” said Jiang.
She said there is only one China in the world, Taiwan is an integral part of the Chinese territories, and the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government that represents the whole China.
She said this is the common consensus of the international community, completely accords with the UN Charter and has been confirmed by the Resolution 2758 of the UN General Assembly. China, in a UN letter made public Wednesday night, strongly condemned an attempt by “very few” countries to request the UN General Assembly to consider the so-called question of “Taiwan’s application for United Nations membership.”
The letter from Chinese UN Ambassador Wang Guangya to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was in response to a letter submitted earlier by the Solomon Islands and a very few other countries to the UN chief. These countries asked the forthcoming session of the General Assembly to consider “Taiwan’s application for United Nations Membership.”
This is “a blatant attempt to clamor for and create ‘Taiwan independence’” and is “absolutely preposterous,” Wang said in the letter dated Aug. 17.—Xinhua