Beijing pressures US on Taiwan referendum

Beijing has asked the US to do more to prevent a pro-independence referendum from being held in Taiwan, the Washington Post reported. The referendum, which will ask voters whether the island should apply for entry into the UN as Taiwan, rather than the Republic of China, will be held on March 22, the same day as Taiwan’s presidential election. That election is widely expected to be won by Kuomintang (KMT) leader Ma Ying-jeou, who has called for improved relations with the mainland. In response to Beijing’s demands, a senior US official said that Washington has already done all it can to stop the referendum. The KMT secured a landslide victory in parliamentary elections held earlier this month.