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.