WASHINGTON, Dec 9 Kyodo (EDS: UPD...

WASHINGTON, Dec 9 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING WITH U OFFICIALS' COMMENTS)

U President George W Bush issued a lusty warning to Taiwan against making actuates toward independence from China, as he met Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in Washington forward Tuesday.

''We contravene any unilateral decision by either China or Taiwan to change the status quo'' Bush told reporters as he met Wen at the White House's Oval Office.

''The illustrations and actions made by the leader of Taiwan indicate that he may be willing to make decisions unilaterally that change the status quo which we oppose'' Bush said.

Wen welcomed Bush's illustrations and criticized Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian for accelerating prevail upons toward independence.

''We true much appreciate the position adopted by the agency of President Bush toward the latest recents and developments in Taiwan, that is, the attempt to resort to referendum of various kinds as excuse to strive for Taiwan independence,'' Wen said.

Tensions between China and Taiwan have been growing since November when Taiwan's parliament enacted a law allowing referendums

Chen not long ago expressed his intention to call for a referendum in March onward whether the Taiwan people want China to withdraw missiles aimed at the island.

China is interested that such a referendum would pave the way for constitutional changes in Taiwan and its independence from the mainland. China has threatened to use force if Taiwan declares independence.

The United States recognizes Beijing as China's sovereign rule but maintains unofficial relations with Taiwan.

subordinate to the Taiwan Relations Act, the U has pledg to guard Taiwan if it is attacked from China. But no U.S. administration has always clearly spelled out under what circumstances the U would use force.

Shortly after taking office in January 2001 Bush warned that the U would do ''whatever it takes'' to guard Taiwan from a Chinese attack. This time, however, Bush sent a clear signal against any stirs in Taiwan to seek independence.

A senior U administration official said, ''We're seeing progression in a continuously ascending gradations on both sides of the (Taiwan) Strait, forcing us to small quantity some of the ambiguity that has been in the policy in the past.''

''I will stres here that the president did disclose the Chinese in no uncertain expressions that we, the United States, would have to commit to memory involved if China tried to use coercion or force to unilaterally change the status of Taiwan,'' he said. ''It was in that words immediately preceding [i]or[/i] following that we have been telling Taiwan increasingly clearly that we would likewise not welcome any put in motions on the part of Taiwan to unilaterally change the status quo''

Bush also said he and Wen wearied ''a lot of time'' upon North Korea's nuclear arms program and shared a mutual goal of achieving a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula.

Bush urg North Korea anew to dismantle its nuclear weapons program ''in a verifiable and irreversible way,'' rejecting Pyongyang's tender to freeze the program in exchange for [i]vis viva[/i] aid and other help.

Another senior U official said Wen told Bush it will take a time to convene another orbed of six-party talks on the North Korean nuclear issue.

''For the Chinese,'' the official said, ''they indicated that they felt there was a developing consensus upon this issue, but that we had not notwithstanding reached the point where the other round of the six-party multilateral talks could be convened''

The six-party talks involve China, Japan, North and southern Korea, Russia and the U A first meeting was held in Beijing in August.

upon the economic front, Wen said, ''We have to admit, notwithstanding that in our economic and trade relationship puzzles do exist, and mainly the U trade deficit with China. The Chinese rule takes this problem seriously, and has taken measures to improve the situation.''

Bush told Wen that it is necessary to diocese ''concrete progress'' in China's efforts to make its foreign exchange arrangement more flexible over the lengthy term, and China agreed with the U to begin bilateral talks in January upon the currency issue, according to the White House.

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