U.S. again urges Taiwan to drop U.N. bid

TAIPEI (Reuters) - The United States on Tuesday criticized Taiwan's plan to hold a referendum on U.N. membership repeating its line that it would upset the status quo with neighbor China which considers the self-ruled island its own.

Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party plans to hold the referendum alongside presidential elections in March, ignoring warnings from Washington and Beijing.

"Just the process of having a referendum will make it harder to develop relations across the Taiwan Strait," Raymond Burghardt, chairman of the U.S. government's American Institute in Taiwan, told a news conference.

"It isn't going to accomplish anything in changing Taiwan's international status."

The United States is Taiwan's biggest ally and the institute is its de facto embassy.

Burghardt's remarks echo a series of similar comments by other U.S. officials.

China has claimed sovereignty over democratic Taiwan since the Chinese civil war ended in 1949, and Beijing has threatened to use force if the island formally declares statehood.

Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979, recognizing "one China", but is obliged by the Taiwan Relations Act to help the island defend itself.

Repeated attempts by Taiwan to join the United Nations have failed. Taiwan is recognized by just 24 mostly small, impoverished countries around the world, against 170 which recognize economic powerhouse China.

(Reporting by Ralph Jennings, editing by Nick Macfie and Sanjeev Miglani)