China irate at Chen's US stopover

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China has protested to the US at plans to allow Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian to stop over in California on his way to Central America.

President Chen will spend the night in San Francisco before travelling on to Nicaragua for the inauguration of President-elect Daniel Ortega.

China sees Taiwan as part of its territory and discourages any diplomatic recognition for Taipei.

The US said Mr Chen's visit was private and simply for transit purposes.

Washington has allowed the Taiwanese president to stop over on US soil in the past, but refused permission last May as he headed for a presidential inauguration in Costa Rica.

Analysts at the time speculated that the refusal was a warning to Mr Chen not to challenge the delicate balance of relations between China and Taiwan.

'Real goal'

China's foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said Beijing had made "serious representations" to the US about Mr Chen's stopover this time.

"We are firmly opposed to any official exchange between Taiwan authorities and the United States," he said in a statement on the ministry website.

TAIWAN-CHINA RELATIONS Ruled by separate governments since end of Chinese civil war in 1949 China considers the island part of its territoryChina has offered a "one country, two systems" solution, like Hong KongMost people in Taiwan support status quo <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/asia_pac/04/taiwan_flashpoint/html/introduction.stm" class="">Guide to Taiwan flashpoint</a>

He said Mr Chen's "real goal" was to "undertake activities aimed at splitting China and ruining Sino-US relations", without going into details.

Larry Walker of the American Institute in Taiwan - the de facto US embassy on the island - said they understood Mr Chen's visit to be "private and unofficial, consistent with the purposes of transit".

Mr Chen is expected to spend 17 hours in San Francisco - home to a large and politically active Chinese-American community - before travelling on to the Nicaraguan capital Managua.

Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, are among 24 nations which have diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

The US switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979, but is committed to supplying the island with defensive weapons.