Taiwan VP says she rejected RI's apology for botched presidential trip<\/p>\n
Associated Press, Taipei<\/p>\n
Vice President Annette Lu said on Monday that Indonesia had
\nrepeatedly apologized in private for a bungled attempt by the
\nTaiwanese president to visit the Southeast Asian country last
\nweek.<\/p>\n
But the outspoken Lu said during a tea party for reporters
\nthat she didn't accept the apology because she wanted to preserve
\nTaiwan's dignity and wait until Indonesia apologized in a proper
\nway.<\/p>\n
The informal trip was canceled after the details were leaked
\nto an Indonesian newspaper and China began pressuring Jakarta to
\ncall off the visit, Taiwanese officials have said. China
\nconsiders self-ruled Taiwan to be part of its territory and
\ndemands that other countries block visits by Taiwanese leaders.<\/p>\n
Lu did not say who in the Indonesian government has
\napologized. An official in her office, Jeffrey Chen, declined to
\nprovide more information and directed questions to the Foreign
\nMinistry.<\/p>\n
But Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Chang Siao-yue would not
\ndiscuss the reported apologies. \"This is an ongoing event. It's
\npremature for the Foreign Ministry to make any comments at this
\ntime,\" she said.<\/p>\n
The incident turned ugly when Indonesian Foreign Minister
\nHassan Wirayuda angered Taiwanese officials by saying that he
\nnever approved the trip and that the Taiwanese president would
\nnever be welcomed in Indonesia. Hassan said that Jakarta has a
\n\"one-China policy\" that only formally recognizes the Beijing
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
Taiwan called the remarks \"extremely unfriendly,\" and Lu told
\nreporters on Monday that Hassan's comments were criticized within
\nthe Indonesian government.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta on Monday, Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman
\nMarty Natalegawa said the ministry hasn't apologized.<\/p>\n
\"Our thoughts and policies on this entire episode have been
\nexpressed openly and clearly by the minister of foreign affairs,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
\"That is where it stands and there hasn't been any additional
\nthoughts expressed on this subject, either privately or
\npublicly,\" he added.<\/p>",
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