In an interview with the Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV on Tuesday, John Negroponte, US deputy secretary of State, sent up a warning signal that the United States regards attempts by the authorities in Taiwan to hold a "United Nations membership referendum" on the island as a step toward the unilateral alteration of the status quo and asked that Taiwan avoid taking any provocative steps. This is by far the harshest warning by the Bush administration against Taiwan's attempted "UN membership referendum".

US criticism has never stopped since the Taiwan authorities started pushing for the "UN referendum".

For example, during his visit to Taiwan in the middle of June, Raymond Burghardt, chairman of the board of trustees of the American Institute in Taiwan, pressed Chen Shui-bian to reiterate his "four-nots" pledge (not to declare independence, not to change the name of the "Republic of China", not to push for a "two-states" idea, not to hold any referendum on "unification" and "independence"). At a press conference, Burghardt urged the "presidential candidates" from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Kuomintang to be cautious in their words and deeds and refrain from staging any provocative actions against the mainland.