WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Friday that the United States opposes Taiwan's proposed referendum to apply to the United Nations under the name Taiwan, saying that the move is a "provocative" policy.

    "As we have stated in recent months, we think that Taiwan's referendum to apply to the United Nations under the name Taiwan is a provocative policy," Rice said at a press conference in the State Department.

    "It unnecessarily raises tensions in the Taiwan Strait, and it promises no real benefits for the people of Taiwan on the international stage. That is why we oppose this referendum," the secretary of state said.

    "We have a one-China policy and we do not support independence for Taiwan," she stressed.