U.S., EU vow to aid Taiwan bid

U.S., EU vow to aid Taiwan bid

The United States and European Union have agreed to help Taiwan should China block Taipei's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), a Taipei newspaper said Saturday.

U.S. Under Secretary of International Trade Grant Aldonas and EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy made the promise to Taiwan's Economics Minister Lin Hsin-yi in Qatar on Friday, Taipei Times said in a dispatch from Qatari capital Doha.

Lin is leading the Taiwan delegation to the 4th WTO ministers' meeting in Doha running till Nov. 13. He has met with foreign delegation leaders to seek support should China hinder Taiwan's entry.

Aldonas said the U.S. would aid Taiwan if at the last minute there are special circumstances regarding Taiwan's accession.

Taiwan has its own plans if China - through its allies within WTO - attempts to block Taiwan's entry, the paper quoted an unnamed Taiwan delegate as saying.

"If China attempts to block our entry, we could garner the support of one-third of WTO members to block China's entry," he said.

WTO is due to approve China's accession Saturday evening. -- DPA