Beijing
Beijing threatened Taipei with “disaster” this week, after it shut down a government agency dedicated to reuniting Taiwan with the mainland. Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian promised in 2000 that he wouldn’t “abolish” the National Unification Council, so instead he announced that it had simply “ceased to function.” The Chinese government did not appreciate the distinction and said Chen’s move would “create antagonism and conflict within Taiwan and across the strait.” The U.S. played down the dispute. “It’s our understanding that President Chen did not abolish it, and he reaffirmed Taiwan’s commitment to the status quo,” said State Department spokesman Adam Ereli.
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