Media and governments of North Korea, Vietnam, Romania, the
Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia, Afghanistan, and UN
officials have made statements or speeches denouncing Chen
Shui-bian's secessionist move and reiterating their support for the
one-China principle.
Chen declared on Feb. 27 that "the National Unification Council"
(NUC) would "cease to function" and that "the National Unification
Guidelines" (NUG) would "cease to apply."
A commentary published on Saturday by Rodong Sinmun,
the organ newspaper of the North Korea's Workers' Party, said the
Chinese government and the Communist Party of China had made active
and sincere efforts to promote the development of cross-Straits
relations, creating a circumstance conducive to national
reunification.
The commentary said the "Taiwan independence" secessionists'
declaration at this very time was "an action which pours cold
water" on the cross-Straits relations, "a criminal conspiracy" to
damage regional peace and stability, and thus "a serious challenge"
to the Chinese people's will and efforts for national
reunification.
The Korean people will continue to support the Chinese people's
struggle for the realization of national reunification, said the
commentary titled "The Principle and Position on Firmly Opposing
'Taiwan independence'".
Nhan Dan, the central organ newspaper of the Communist
Party of Vietnam, Quan Doi Nhan Dan, the organ of the
General Political Bureau of Vietnam's People's Army, and New
Hanoi, the newspaper of Hanoi City Committee of the Communist
Party of Vietnam, on Saturday published Foreign Ministry spokesman
Le Dung's remarks on Chen Shui-bian's move.
Vietnam always sticks to the one-China principle and steadfastly
opposes conspiracies aimed at achieving "Taiwan independence" in
any form, the reports said.
Romanian newspaper Curierul National on Saturday carried an
article titled "The Dark Clouds over the Taiwan Straits", saying
Chen's move will only damage peace of the Taiwan Straits and poison
the stable atmosphere of the region.
A survey showed that a few persons who had evil intentions were
trying to impose "Taiwan independence" on the 23 million Taiwanese,
the article said, adding once they succeed, it will seriously
worsen cross-Straits relations and threaten the peace and stability
of the Taiwan Straits.
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Le Potentiel, a popular newspaper in the Democratic
Republic of Congo, and the United Press of Congo respectively
published articles on March 1-2 condemning Chen's actions.
Chen Shui-bian's attempts to realize "Taiwan independence
judicially" through "changing the constitution" will certainly lead
to high tensions in cross-Straits relations and undermine peace and
stability in the Taiwan Straits and the Asia-Pacific region.
The Foreign Ministry of Namibia on Monday issued a statement,
denouncing Chen Shui-bian's actions towards "Taiwan independence"
and restating its support for the one-China principle.
Namibia fully supports the one-China policy and Taiwan is part
of Chinese territory, as is acknowledged by the international
community, the statement said, adding Namibia's government upholds
the endeavors of the Chinese government and Chinese people to
safeguard the integrity of their sovereignty and territory and to
realize reunification.
Speaking with Guo Chongli, the Chinese Ambassador in Kenya and
Chinese representative at the United Nations Environment Program
(UNEP), the UN deputy Secretary-General Klaus Toepfer said the
UNEP, as a UN organization, always insisted on the one-China
principle, namely "There is only one China in the world and Taiwan
is part of China."
Toepfer, who is also executive director of the UNEP, expressed
hope that the policy of "One country, two systems" would be applied
to the Taiwan issue in the same way the Chinese government
successfully solved the Hong Kong issue and the Macao issue.
A spokesperson with the Afghan Foreign Ministry told Xinhua on
Monday that "Afghanistan's government has never changed its
position on the one-China principle and opposes any actions of any
people in any form to damage the peaceful reunification of China or
to worsen the cross-Straits relations and jeopardize regional
peace."
In another development, acting spokesman of US State Department
Tom Casey Monday said the United States opposes any unilateral
measures to change the status quo across the Taiwan Straits.
"We believe the maintenance of Taiwan's assurances is critical
to preserving the status quo and our firm policy is that there
should be no unilateral changes to the status quo," Casey told a
regular press conference.
Casey reaffirmed the position when asked whether the United
States had any concern over Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian's pledge
in an interview with Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun on Friday to
draft for Taiwan a "new constitution based on legal
procedures."
The "NUC" was set up in 1990 by the Taiwan authorities headed by
Lee Teng-hui. A total of 14 meetings were held after its
establishment. However, no "NUC" meeting has been held since Chen
Shui-bian became Taiwan leader.
The "National Unification Guidelines" were issued in 1991,
saying both the Chinese mainland and Taiwan are under the
sovereignty of China and the promotion of the state's reunification
should be the common task of all Chinese.
The guidelines also outlined a three-phase goal for the
realization of China's reunification.
(Xinhua News Agency March 8, 2006)
