WASHINGTON, Dec. 2 (Xinhuanet) -- The United States opposes any referendum designed to change Taiwan's status or move it towards independence, US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Monday.

    Boucher was commenting on Chen Shuibian's latest proposal to hold a "defensive referendum" in March 2004 in Taiwan.

    "We would be opposed to any referenda that would change Taiwan's status or move towards independence," Boucher said at the State Department's regular news briefing.

    "We also urge both sides to refrain from actions or statements that increase tensions or make dialogue more difficult to achieve," Boucher said.

    He reaffirmed that "the United States has always held and again reiterates that cross-strait dialogue is essential to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait area."

    Boucher added that the United States takes it "very seriously" that Chen pledged "not to declare independence, not to change the name of Taiwan's government and not to add the 'state-to-state' theory to the constitution, and not to promote a referendum to change the status quo on independence or unification" in his inaugural address in 2000. Enditem