China Vows to Prevent Taiwan Independence

27/12/2004| IslamWeb

China's military will crush any major moves toward independence by Taiwan no matter what the cost, said a government policy paper released Monday that accused Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian of escalating tension. The paper on defense was released as China's parliament discussed a draft anti-secession law that analysts say may contain clauses that would legally bind Beijing to take military action if the island Beijing claims as a renegade province ever declares independence. "Should the Taiwan authorities go so far as to make a reckless attempt that constitutes a major incident of 'Taiwan independence', the Chinese people and armed forces will resolutely and thoroughly crush it at any cost," the paper said. Taiwan split from the mainland at the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949, but Beijing still sees the self-governing island of 23 million as part of China and has pledged to bring it back into the fold, by force if necessary. "The situation in the relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits is grim," the paper said. Separatist activities on Taiwan had become the "biggest immediate threat" to China's sovereignty and to peace and stability in the region, it said. Moves by Taiwan's Chen toward independence for the island have made Beijing's communist leaders increasingly nervous since he took office in 2000 and tension has risen. "The Taiwan authorities under Chen Shui-bian have recklessly challenged the status quo that both sides of the Straits belong to one and the same China, and markedly escalated the 'Taiwan independence' activities designed to split China," the paper said. However, Chen's ambitions suffered a blow this month when his Democratic Progressive Party failed to gain a majority in the legislature, curtailing his power to introduce a new constitution that China says would be a step toward independence.