Randall Schriver, former deputy assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific affairs, in an article in the newsletter of the Pacific Forum says that rather than rejecting outright Taiwan's efforts to hold a referendum next year, the US should encourage Taiwan to take steps that will strengthen its democracy. According to Schriver, from Washington's perspective, referendums in Taiwan could be categorized in three ways: a referendum on a topic that relates to good governance; a referendum that most clearly addresses the question of independence and/or sovereignty; and a referendum that is highly symbolic in nature that has no consequential impact on governance and policy and touches obliquely on questions of Taiwan's status or sovereignty.
While persuading Taiwan to drop its plan to hold such a symbolic and impractical referendum, the US should remind Beijing that Washington supports democracy in Taiwan, including support for democratic methods such as conducting referendums, Schriver said. Even if Taiwan ultimately decides to go ahead with the plan, Washington should urge Beijing to show restraint, he said.
After meeting with Vice President Annette Lu who was in San Francisco on July 3 for a transit stop en route to Latin America, Tom Lantos, chairman of the House of Representatives' Committee on Foreign Affairs, said that maintaining the status quo across the Taiwan Strait was the most feasible and appropriate option for Taiwan at present. Lantos said it was impractical for Taiwan to seek membership in the WHO and the UN, adding that neither the administration nor congress were in favor of the plan to hold a referendum on applying to join the UN under the name "Taiwan." (Source: Taipei Times,. Jul 5. 2007).