BEIJING, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Overseas Chinese have
been for days lashing out at the leader of the Taiwan authorities, Chen
Shui-bian, over his attempt to seek United Nations membership for the island
through a referendum.
The Chinese community in Washington has sent a letter
to the U.S. Congress to affirm their support for the government to continue
observing the "one-China" policy regardless of the Taiwan authorities' bid for
UN membership in the name of Taiwan via a referendum.
In the letter obtained by Xinhua Sunday, the Alliance
for China's Peaceful Reunification in Washington said that the Taiwan
authorities' insistence on a referendum for UN membership, despite repeated
warnings by the U.S. government, is a very risky move.
By holding a referendum, the Taiwan authorities are
attempting to split the island from China's territory, which is an unscrupulous
provocation against the "one-China" policy that the U.S. government observes,
the letter said.
The alliance said that the attempt would constitute a
severe threat to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region and the world,
and also harm the United States' national interests.
The alliance is planning to hold a conference in
November in Washington, the "Forum on Promotion of Chinese Peace Reunification
Worldwide," where activists, experts and scholars from both China and the U.S.
will discuss how the referendum will harm relations between the U.S. and China,
as well as between Chinese mainland and Taiwan.
In Los Angeles, Chinese community leaders held a
meeting Saturday voicing opposition to any secessionist activity by the Taiwan
authorities.
The leaders said such a move is a step toward
independence from China and would risk further tensions and even a war between
the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.
Leaders of Chinese American groups and
representatives of the Chinese community said at the meeting that they firmly
support the U.S. government's one-China policy and its stance on the referendum
issue.
Senior U.S. officials have recently reiterated their
opposition to Taiwan's referendum plan and stepped up pressure on the leader of
the Taiwan authorities, Chen Shui-bian, to drop the proposal. Washington saw the
move as a step toward a declaration of "Taiwan independence," which would enrage
the mainland and thus endanger the island's security.
In a joint statement read out at the meeting, the
Chinese community leaders urged the Taiwan authorities to stop the referendum
effort and any activities toward "Taiwan independence," and called on people in
Taiwan to make an intelligent judgment in their own interests.
They accused Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive
Party of disregarding the interests of Taiwan's 23 million residents, and using
the referendum plan to increase voter appeal in the island's elections next
year.
"A referendum in Taiwan, which would be manipulated
by the Taiwan authorities, is illegitimate, as the future of Taiwan should be
decided by all 1.5 billion Chinese people," said Lisa Jiang, rotating
chairperson of the Southern California Federation for China's Peaceful
Reunification, an umbrella organization of Chinese American groups in the region
with members originating from both Taiwan and the Chinese mainland.
Speakers at the meeting said that overseas Chinese,
including those living in the United States, who mostly want to see a unified
China, are ready to support any action by the mainland to crush the Taiwan
authorities' independence scheme and safeguard the nation's territorial
integrity.
In Italy, hundreds of overseas Chinese met in the
central city Prato to launch a movement for China's reunification and against
"Taiwan independence."
They said it is the common desire and fundamental
interest of Chinese all over the world to realize the reunification of China and
maintain stability across the Taiwan Strait.
Zheng Xianjie, deputy chief of the Prato Overseas
Chinese Association, said the movement intended to unify overseas Chinese, who
oppose the secessionist moves by the Taiwan authorities, and show their resolve
in supporting the reunification of China.
Representatives of overseas Chinese held a seminar
this week in Sao Paulo, the biggest city in Brazil, condemning the referendum
bid and other secessionist moves by the Taiwan authorities.
Li Jinhui, head of the All-Brazil Union for Promotion
of China Reunification, said Chinese both at home and abroad would never allow
the referendum farce become a reality.
In Brasilia, Belem and some other Brazilian cities,
overseas Chinese organizations issued statements over the past days slamming the
referendum plan, which they denounced as a plot to split Taiwan from the
motherland.
The referendum plan will never be allowed to be put
into practice, the Association of Overseas Chinese in Brasilia warned in its
statement.
Mainland official lambasts Taiwan
leader's new secessionist remarks
BEIJING, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese mainland official
has lashed out at Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian's "Taiwan independence" remarks
made on Saturday.
During a rally on Saturday, Chen feverishly whipped
up support for his "referendum" plan on the island's entry into the United
Nations, and told the lie of "Taiwan being a sovereign state."
"The situation of the rally shows that Chen's
'referendum' plan fails to get support from the masses," a spokesman for the
Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council said here Sunday. Full story
Chinese communities in California lash
out at Taiwan's referendum
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of the Chinese
community here on Saturday lashed out at Taiwan authorities' decision to hold a
referendum on its bid for United Nations membership in the name of Taiwan.
The leaders said such a move is a step toward
independence from China and would risk further tensions and even a war between
the two sides of the Taiwan Straits. Full story
Overseas Chinese condemn Taiwan
referendum plan
BEIJING, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Overseas Chinese around the
world on Friday strongly denounced Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian's attempt at
Taiwan membership of the United Nations through a referendum.
In Canberra, the Chinese community in Australian
Capital Territory (ACT) condemned the move by Taiwan authorities. Full story
