Taiwan to defy US pressure over UN referendum
Taiwan’s planned referendum on United Nations membership may damage its crucial ties to the United States, but President Chen Shui-bian is likely to defy American pressure and see the proposal through, analysts say.
Washington regards the UN proposal as a stalking horse for formal Taiwanese independence, and fears it will lead to a dangerous spike in tensions between the self-governing island of 23 million people, and mainland China.
