Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, March 12, 2004
Singapore criticizes Taiwan's decision to hold referendum
Singapore Thursday repeated itsadherence to the "one-China" policy and voiced its opposition to Taiwan's so-called referendum and its attempt to seek independence from China.
Singapore Thursday repeated itsadherence to the "one-China" policy and voiced its opposition to Taiwan's so-called referendum and its attempt to seek independence from China.
Speaking in Parliament on Thursday, Singaporean Foreign Minister S. Jayakumar said "Singapore's policy is for one China. We do not support independence for Taiwan. As a small country, ourconcern is with regional stability and for the status quo to be maintained."
Jayakumar also voiced the island state's dissatisfaction with Taiwan's decision to hold the so-called referendum on the same dayas its elections have heightened regional concerns.
"Our concern is that the timing of the referendum could increase the risk of misunderstanding and miscalculation by eitherside, leading to a mishap. This would be tragic," he noted.