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 BEIJING (AP) - China's premier tried to woo rival Taiwan with poetry and business deals Tuesday but urged Taiwanese voters to reject a referendum on whether the island should join the United Nations, warning that tensions would rise if the bid succeeds.
Premier Wen Jiabao said approval of the referendum that will accompany Taiwan's presidential election this Saturday could aggravate the already tense ties between China and Taiwan.
"We are opposed to the so-called referendum schemes for Taiwan's membership in the United Nations," Wen told a news conference in Beijing. "That would deal a serious blow to cross-strait relations, that would harm the fundamental interests of the people on both sides, cause tensions in the Taiwan Strait and threaten peace in the Taiwan Strait and the Asia-Pacific region at large."
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