RP turns down Taiwan leader

RP turns down Taiwan leader

MANILA (AFP): Philippine officials have turned down a proposed personal visit here by Taiwan President Lee Teng Hui, diplomatic sources said on Monday.

Foreign Secretary Domingo Siazon withheld a visa due to Manila's "one-China policy", under which it recognizes Beijing as the sole representative of China, said the sources who asked not to be named.

Lee had been invited to the Philippines to receive an honorary degree from the Filipino alumni of Cornell University. The ceremony was set for Sunday.

Although Lee's visit was purely personal, China would object and this could be another source for irritation for Manila- Beijing ties already strained by disputes over South China Sea islands, the sources added.