Australian FM reiterates one-China policy

CANBERRA—Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said Tuesday that the one-China policy, which Australia has been upholding for 35 years, was part and parcel of Australian recognition of China as a nation.
Referring to a question about Australia’s comment on Taiwan’s referendum on UN membership, Smith told reporters at a press conference that Australia adheres “absolutely to our one-China policy and we are very concerned to ensure that action is not taken in Taiwan or the Taiwan Straits, which would cause concern or potential in harmony across the Straits itself.”
“I told Mr. Yang that Australia regards it very much as complete inappropriate, the referendum which on Friday was approved to put the election in Taiwan. It’s completely inappropriate. It is not a healthy contribution,” the foreign minister said firmly at the joint press conference with his visiting Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi.
“It does not lead to stability, nor harmony in Northeast Asia. We would be much better off if that proposal had not been put, “ he said.
Earlier in the day, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd also told Yang at a meeting that his country would adhere to one-China policy and was opposed to the Taiwan referendum on UN membership.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said here Tuesday that the Taiwan authority’s declaration to hold a “referendum on UN membership in the name of Taiwan” was not conducive to the peace and stability in the region.
Meeting with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi in his office, Rudd said Australia’s “one-China” policy in Taiwan issue is clear and persistent.
The Labor party will not change the position of holding the “one-China” policy. Taiwan regime’s efforts to push for the referendum was not at all conducive to the peace and stability in the region, the prime minister said.
On bilateral relations, Rudd said Australia attaches great importance to developing Sino-Australian relations and hoped to expand economic cooperation as well as cooperation in the fields of climate change, clean energy, biotechnology and financial service.
He said both Australia and China were major countries in Asia and Pacific region, and the cooperation and mutual trust between the two countries would help strengthen the security, stability and prosperity in the region.
Yang said the bilateral ties had developed greatly in recent years but there were still huge potentials in cooperation. China expects to write a new chapter of bilateral relations with Australia on a new and historic starting point.
Yang also said that Chen Shuibian’s regime was trying to hold a referendum which was attempted to seek a legal independence of Taiwan.
“We are trying our best to maintain peace and stability between the Taiwan Straits. We will not tolerate the independence of Taiwan and will never allow anyone to separate Taiwan from China in any means,” Yang said.
The Chinese foreign minister was here to attend the first strategic dialogue between the two countries. He will fly back to China later Tuesday.—Xinhua