China warns Taiwan against miscalculation

Yahoo/Reuters ^ | Dec. 2, 2004 | Unknown

[conservativecorner]

BEIJING (Reuters) - A Chinese major general-turned-vice minister, speaking days before Taiwan's parliamentary elections, warned the island against miscalculating Beijing's determination to crush its separatist dreams.

China has claimed sovereignty over Taiwan since their split at the end of the civil war in 1949 and warned of war if the island formally declares statehood. Tensions have been simmering since Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian's re-election in March.

"There can be no peace (if) Taiwan (becomes) independent, there can be no stability (if) Taiwan splits," the official People's Daily on Thursday quoted Wang Zaixi, a vice minister of the policymaking Taiwan Affairs Office, as saying.

"It would be a serious, dangerous miscalculation if the Chen Shui-bian authorities...think the Chinese people will tolerate 'Taiwan independence' splittist activities for the sake of seeking a peaceful environment to develop," Wang told a seminar in Macau on Wednesday.

Beijing has accused Taipei of exploiting its restraint and provoking conflict as the world's most populous nation focuses on developing its economy and readying for the 2008 Olympics.

"If splittist forces risk danger in desperation and dare to create a major 'Taiwan independence' incident, the Chinese people will resolutely crush 'Taiwan independence' splittist plots at all costs," said Wang, a People's Liberation Army major general before becoming a vice minister in 2000.

Beijing is convinced Chen will push for nationhood if his Democratic Progressive Party wins a majority of seats in the Dec. 11 elections.

Wang repeated China's standard line that it was committed to "one country, two systems", the formula under which Hong Kong reverted to Chinese rule in 1997 with promises of autonomy.

Beijing had the greatest sincerity and would exert the greatest effort to seek peaceful reunification and resume stalled dialogue with Taipei, Wang said. Talks between the two sides have been frozen since 1999.

[conservativecorner]

Ask the people of Hong Kong how they like one country-two systems. Complete BS from the chinese.

[2banana]

I often wonder what would happen to the US economy and the Chinese economy if Taiwan moved towards independence, China attacked, American help defend Taiwan and attacked certain infrastructures in China (telecommunications, ports, electrical grids). Who long before the Chinese would be on their knees? How long before American companies would be on their knees?

[AntiGuv]

Ask the people of Hong Kong how they like one country-two systems.

Are they actually permitted to answer?

[tallhappy]

That the Bush administration is siding publicly with the Chinese is maddening.

[conservativecorner]

It was Colin Powell who recently inserted his foot into his mouth by stating: "a reunification that all parties are seeking" and his comment that self-ruled Taiwan "is not independent" drew praise from Beijing and stunned Taipei. The Taiwanese feared that U.S. policy had changed and that Washington was starting to pressure the democratic island to join China.

We will not have this kind of BS from Sec. Rice.

[tallhappy]

No. It is the entire Administration including President Bush himself who made anti-Taiwan comments in the presence of China's "President" Hu Jintao.

This decision to support China and criticize Taiwan actually originated almost a year ago in the Condi Rice side of the administration.

[Nathan Zachary]

I think you would see alot of companies relocating from Taiwan back to the USA in an awful hurry.

There is no doubt that Bush comments are such in order to avoid a war over the place, which really isn't a good thing at this point in time. But, there is alot of naval power in the area on "excersizes". Europe would love to see a war.

[conservativecorner]

If the administration has been doing this for at least a year, why were the Taiwanese stunned when he made the statement? If it had been administration policy, it would not have created the uproar that it did. I blame Powell and the State Dept. for much of our mess with Taiwan. Sec. Powell needs to understand, although now he's leaving the post, that he works at the behest of the President and not the other way around. What reforms did he institute during his tenure at State? The place is full of liberals who take every opportunity they get at undermining the President's foreign policy. I have every confidence in Condi that she will do some much needed house cleaning just as Director Goss is doing at the CIA.

[Paul_Denton]

Taiwan *IS* its own nation. It is not China. History proves this.

In 1895 China handed the island to Japan as part of a treaty that ended the Sino-Japanese war. Japan occupied it and opressed its people until the end of WWII when the Japanese were ordered to leave as part of their surrender.

The San Francisco Peace Treaty stated that Taiwan's status would be "determined at a future date." That date never came.

In 1949 Chiang Kai Shek and his nationalists fled there after losing the Chiense Civil War to buthcer Mao and his Communists. Chiang Kai Shek's KMT (Kuomintang or Chinese Nationalist Party) ruled the island with an iron fist, taking their anger on Taiwan's native population by declaring martial law which would last until 1987.

In 1979 the US withdrew diplomatic recognition of Taiwan but Congress formulated the Taiwan Relations Act and Ronald Reagan gave the Six Assurances to Taiwan. There is now a strong movement among various Republicans to restore diplomatic recognition of Taiwan. Not as the sole government of China but a separate nation, which it is.

Taiwan became free once again when Lee Teng-hui became president (He was vice-president until Chiang Ching-kuo died) and did reforms that removed the KMT's grip on power and created a government very similar to that of the US. A multi-party democracy. For that he was expelled from the KMT, so he went on to form his own party, the Taiwan Solidarity Union.

In 1996, when Taiwan had its very first presidential election, the Chinese fired some missiles into Taiwan's shipping lanes but the plot to intimidate the Taiwanese backfired, making more people vote for Lee Teng-hui. The US also sent two Carrier Strike Groups to park themselves in the Taiwan Strait, causing the Chinese to stop firing missiles and shut their traps as they always do when the US makes a show of force.

In 2000, Democratic Progressive Party candidate Chen Shui-bian won the election. This time the Chinese threatened to use nuclear weapons, but it did not deter the Taiwanese or the US. 2000 was the year that brought China and the US closest to war as a string of incidents pushed both sides to the brink.

I for one am glad to see Colin Powell leave. His comments on Taiwan's status were utterly irresponsible and disheartening, but it is not surprising given that he is by far the most leftist member (called a "moderate" by democrats) of the Bush administration.

Taiwan has always stayed a friend of the United States even after the US's shifting of diplomatic recognition in 1979. Taiwanese are very pro-American in an anti-American world. Right now we got our "allies" in Europe are turning against us and supporting China. Taiwan deserves the US's support and recognition of it. And if war with China is the price for it, then I say bring it on.