The fresh bout of tension is over the statement two weeks ago of President Lee Teng-Hui of Taiwan, which made a mention of state to state relations with China renouncing the `One China' theory. China has been threatening use of force unless Taiwanese President retracts his statement.

While the US has criticised Lee for his statement and reiterated that it stands by the `One China' policy, it has at the same time announced its resolve to stand by its treaty commitments to Taiwan. President Lee has explained that he did not want independence but yet has not retracted his statement.

Referring to the tensions and disputes in South China Sea, US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, said today that the stakes were too high and `we cannot simply sit on the sidelines and watch.'

On the other hand, theChinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuna, in his speech at the ARF remarked that Asian people have had painful and unforgettable memories of the strong bullying the weak. He said that cases of interference in other countries' internal affairs were still occurring. He referred to Lee as a `trouble maker' and said that the Taiwan question was purely an internal matter of China. `And if there is any action for its independence, it will not sit back and do nothing,' he added. He quoted an old Chinese proverb, `Prosperity and development are associated with unity, while war and conflict come with separation.'