Free Republic

WASHINGTON - The White House appeared satisfied Friday with the new, toned-down language that Taiwan's leader announced for a planned March 20 referendum.   Originally, Taiwan's president, Chen Shui-bian, had pushed for a strongly worded, China-bashing vote demanding the communist giant withdraw nearly 500 missiles aimed at Taiwan. But with Washington fearing an upset of the delicate balance in the Taiwan Strait, that language prompted President Bush (news - web sites) to express serious concerns. Though Bush didn't specifically oppose the referendum, he warned that he opposed "any unilateral decision by either China or Taiwan to change the status quo."...