Experts Say: 'Seeking Independence by Force' Will Bring Taiwan Untold Disaster

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, March 28, 2002

Experts Say: 'Seeking Independence by Force' Will Bring Taiwan Untold Disaster

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Editor's notes: Recently, Taiwan authorities have stepped up their separatist activities aimed to "seek independence by force", the United States allowed Taiwan's Tang Yiau-min to visit the country to discuss sales of sophisticated weapons to Taiwan. Regarding this, people at home and abroad, that are concerned about the great cause of China's reunification are filled with righteous indignation and show grave concern over the matter.

People's Daily (Overseas Edition) invited some Taiwan-issue experts and scholars in Beijing to carry out conversation by writing.

They pointed out sharply that the US arms sale to Taiwan gives divisive forces in Taiwan a wrong piece of information, and inflates their "Taiwan independence" arrogance. Taiwan authorities' reliance on foreign forces "to seek independence by force" will bring Taiwan infinite calamities.

Experts and scholars are: Su Ge, deputy director of China Institute for International Studies; Yu Keli, deputy director with the Institute on Taiwan Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; and He Biao, member of the Policy Studies Commission of the Central Committee of the Taiwan Democratic Self-government League.

He Biao: Since he came to power, the leader of Taiwan authorities has ignored the Island's mainstream public will for peace, stability and development, he obstinately carries out all-directional administration of "Taiwan independence", devotes major efforts to controlling the army and the public security department, and changes the "tenacious defense" strategy into "fighting a decisive battle outside" in an attempt to spread the flames of war to the Chinese mainland; and he spares no huge money to buy large-scale sophisticated weapons, attempting to "resist reunification by force" and "to seek independence by force" by relying on military support from external forces.

It is disclosed by Taiwan's monthly "Straits Review" that "currently Taiwan's annual 'national defense' budget comes to around 300 billion Taiwan dollars, accounting for 22 percent of its annual total budgeted expenditures. Taiwan's expenditure on external purchase of weapons over the past 10 years has made the island become the first or the second largest buyer on the world arms market. In one deal struck in April 2001 alone, Taiwan obtained US sale of arms worth around 300 billion Taiwan dollars, equivalent to a yearly 'national defense' budget." Taiwan media have pointed out: the escalation of expanded purchase of arms, far from bringing security to Taiwan, will further aggravate tension in the Taiwan Straits, this actually is "using money to buy danger".

While expanding arms purchase, Taiwan authorities attempt to lure certain Southeast Asian countries to supply "reserve bases" for military training on the pretext of "extending strategic in-depth bases", cherishing the illusion that when war breaks out on the Taiwan Straits, these "reserve bases" would become bases for "preserving the second attacking force". This would divert the war flames into other countries and thus endanger peace in Asia. This plot will inevitably meet with the resolute opposition of the Asian countries and people.

Su Ge: US arms sale to Taiwan is a big obstacle to the development of China-US relations and the solution of the Taiwan issue.

Firstly, there is only one China in the world, Taiwan is part of the Chinese territory, this is an indisputable fact. The US government explicitly made its commitments in the three Sino-US joint communiques. But the US government's supply of weapons to part of a sovereign State is in violation of the basic norms of international law.

Secondly, after long-term negotiations between China and the United States, the two countries signed the "August 17 Communique" in 1982, the American side clearly promised that "it does not seek to implement a policy of long-term sale of arms to Taiwan, the performance and quantity of the weapons it sold to Taiwan will not surpass the level reached in the years after the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, and that it is prepared to gradually reduce its arms sale to Taiwan and thereby, after a period of time, lead to the final solution of the matter." This being the case, US arms sale to Taiwan is a breach of its own promises.

Thirdly, the Democratic Progressive Party is now in power in the Taiwan authorities, some people in the Island are rampantly carrying out activities designed to split the country. US arms sale to Taiwan gives a wrong information to the divisive forces in Taiwan and inflates their arrogance in "seeking independence by force". If Taiwan were to be drawn into the TMD ([theater missile defense] system), the problem would become even more serious. We have always advocated solving the Taiwan issue by the policy of "peaceful reunification, one country, two systems". The United States has also repeatedly stressed its hope that China would solve the Taiwan issue by peaceful means. But US sales of sophisticated weapons to Taiwan can only aggravate tension in cross-Strait relations and make a peaceful solution increasingly difficult.

Yu Keli: while engaging in large-scale purchase of sophisticated weapons and equipment in an attempt to "resist reunification by force" and "seek independence by force", Taiwan authorities wantonly spread lies to befuddle world opinion. Recently, Taiwan's "defense minister" Yang Yiau-min declared in the United States that "Taiwan would not take any provocative act against the Communist Party of China (CPC)", Taiwan's "army would never carry out provocation, nor would it cause an outbreak of war". Making these expressions in the United States, Tang Yiau-min obviously aimed to curry favor with his master, deceive international opinion and "display" Taiwan's so-called international status.

It is known to many that since the authority of the Democratic Progressive Party came to power, it has been comprehensively carrying out "gradual Taiwan independence" with "de-China" as the core and has been continuously upgrading it in the fields of politics, economy, culture, education, armed forces, external relations and ideology. Isn't this the most serious provocation to the entire Chinese people? Tang Yiau-min went to the United States to attend the "US-Taiwan defense summit" directed against the Chinese mainland and conduct behind-the-door secret talks with executive deputy defense secretary of the US Defense Department for as long as one hundred minutes, isn't such a practice of creating splitting activities in the international arena characterized by his open slavish dependence on foreigners and reliance on foreign protection a naked provocative act?

Why did Tang Yiau-min choose to tell barefaced lies in the United States? The answer is very simple, he aims to curry favor with the United States.Taking its national interest into consideration, the United States neither wishes to see realization of reunification between Taiwan and the Chinese mainland, nor does it hope to see military conflicts break out between the two sides of the Straits, this means the two sides of the Straits permanently maintain "non-reunification, and non-independence" (referring mainly to open 'Taiwan independence', not including essential ' Taiwan independence'), the "non-war" situation is most in conformity with America's strategic interest. Given this, the authority of the Democratic Progressive Party which panders to the United States naturally tries by hook or by crook to cater and submit to US wishes. Tang Yiau-min's oral expressions about "non-provocation" this time precisely aim to curry favor with the United States and cater to its pleasure.

Su Ge: The determination of the Chinese government and people to seek an early solution of the Taiwan issue is unshakable, the plot of the Taiwan authorities to split the country by buying foreign weapons will never succeed. The Taiwan question can only be resolved by the Chinese themselves on both sides of the Straits. On the matter concerning reunification of the motherland, our basic policy is "peaceful reunification, one country, two systems". Solving the Taiwan issue by peaceful means conforms to the interests of the Chinese on both sides of the Straits, it is also in the interests of all people, including the American people. But to prevent "Taiwan independence" and possible interference from outside forces, we must conscientiously make preparations by all means to defend State sovereignty and territorial integrity. As far as Taiwan authorities are concerned, peace is the best weapon for stopping war. "Seeking independence by force" by large-scale arms purchase at the cost of huge amounts of money earned by the hard toil of Taiwan people can only bring endless disasters on Taiwan compatriots and bring more accumulated rancor on the two sides of the Straits. Only by accepting the one-China principle, resuming cross-Strait dialogs and negotiations, and putting an early end to hostility between the two sides of the Straits, is it possible to fundamentally ensure Taiwan's security and stability.

This report is rearranged by Xiao Wen, editor of People's Daily (Overseas Edition)

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