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.
 
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)