Rice reiterates U.S. opposition to "referendum" on Taiwan's UN membership

BEIJING, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Visiting U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reiterated here Tuesday that the United States "opposes the proposed referendum" on Taiwan's United Nations' membership during talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi.

Rice, briefing the press on the just-concluded talks, said she, on behalf of the United States, reiterated the U.S. commitment to the one-China policy, its opposition to unilateral changes across the Straits and its expectation that differences across the Straits would be resolved peacefully.

She said she also reaffirmed what she said in December last year that the United States "opposes the proposed referendum because we believe that the referendum would not be constructive and would not in fact serve useful purposes".

Chinese Foreign minister Yang Jiechi said in the meeting that the Chinese side appreciates the U.S.' and Rice's public statements on opposition to the Taiwan authorities' proposed "referendum on UN membership", as well as the U.S.' repeated statements on adherence to the one-China policy, its abiding by the three Sino-U.S. joint communiques and the opposition to "Taiwan independence".

The Taiwan question matters China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and constitutes China's utmost concern, Yang said.

Rice arrived here Tuesday morning for a two-day visit to China as Yang's guest.