TAIWAN on Saturday, June 23, hit back at Singapore for criticising its plan to go ahead with a referendum on joining the United Nations, calling it "unacceptable".

"The foreign ministry deeply regrets... Singapore's comment on our referendum plan as 'provocative and irresponsible.' We find it utterly unacceptable," it said in a statement.

"Taiwan is a sovereign democratic country and a referendum is the basic right of the people. Other countries have no rights to intervene.... We hope the international community will support our bid to join the UN," it said.

The comment came after Singapore on Friday cautioned that such a move would raise tensions between Taiwan and China.

"The proposal to put Taiwan's UN membership bid under the title 'Taiwan' to a referendum is provocative and irresponsible," Singapore's foreign ministry said in a statement.

"It can only give false hope to the Taiwanese people, raise cross-straits tensions and reduce Taiwan's international space," it said.

Taiwan, under its official name, the Republic of China, lost its UN seat to China in 1971. The two sides split in 1949 after a civil war.

Its efforts to rejoin the world body have been repeatedly blocked by Beijing, which regards Taiwan as part of its territory awaiting reunification.

On Monday, President Chen Shui-bian told a visiting US delegation that he will push for a referendum next year on the issue, alongside the March 2008 presidential vote.

Officials here have vowed to go ahead with the referendum despite a warning from key ally Washington not to proceed.

                                                      Home