Beijing prepared to crush separatist activities

Home>>China

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, January 15, 2004

Beijing prepared to crush separatist activities

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

The referendum being proposed by Taiwan's leader Chen Shui-bian and the island's authorities is an attempt to pave the way for a referendum on independence, and a serious threat to peace across the Taiwan Strait, the Chinese government warned Wednesday.

Li Weiyi, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office under the Chinese State Council, said Chen had disregarded the essential interests of the Taiwan people and organized various separatist forces to push for independence by way of a referendum and "remaking the constitution", which was doomed to draw condemnation from the Chinese compatriots worldwide.

The international community had also expressed objections and questioned Chen's activities. This showed his attempt to change the status quo and split the nation unilaterally through a referendum was unpopular, Li said.

Li said the basic pattern and developing tendency for relationsacross the Taiwan Strait had remained unchanged last year.

In 2004, the Chinese government would continue to promote direct exchanges of postal services, transport and trade and to maintain stability, Li said.

The Chinese government would try its utmost to seek peaceful reunification, but would also make necessary preparations against any form of separatist activities, Li added.

Li said the Chinese government had an unswerving resolution andconfidence in maintaining national sovereignty and territorial integrity and would allow nobody to separate Taiwan from China.

Despite harsh political rhetoric, mainland officials softened their tone when addressing economic issues at the press briefing.

Ren Airong, deputy director of the Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office under the Ministry of Agriculture, pledged to strengthen cross-Straits agricultural co-operation and open wider to Taiwanese investors and farming products.

She said the mainland -- with its huge consumption market, plenty of plantation resources and a sound investment environment -- can provide myriad opportunities for Taiwanese agricultural enterprises.

"Both sides of the Straits can model on the closer economic partnership arrangement between the mainland and Hong Kong and Macao to facilitate bilateral agricultural trade," the official said.

She added that the mainland is ready to allow more imports of agricultural products from the island while offering convenient quarantine and logistics services.

Official statistics suggest the mainland had approved 4,609 Taiwanese-funded agricultural projects by the end of last year, with investment totalling up to US$3 billion.

As a whole, the number of Taiwanese-funded businesses on the mainland rose by 4,495 in 2003, with contract investment of US$8.56 billion.

Indirect trade volume across the Straits topped US$50 billion for the first time last year, hitting US$58.37 billion.

Top US military officer backs one China

The US Government adheres to the one-China policy, and hopes to maintain stability in the Taiwan region, said US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Richard Myers Wednesday in Beijing.

Myers is in Beijing for a two-day visit. He met Wednesday with senior Chinese military officials, including General Liang Guanglie, chief of the general staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), Vice-Chairman of Central Military Commission General Guo Boxiong and Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan.

During the meetings, the Chinese military officials stressed China's sincere wish for peaceful reunification and firm determination to crush splittist activities.

General Liang endorsed a sound relationship between the two armed forces. But he also enunciated China's "one country, two systems" and "peaceful reunification" stance on the Taiwan question.

General Guo Boxiong and General Cao Gangchuan said in separate meetings that China would strive for peaceful reunification of the country.

"We respect Taiwan compatriots' wish to seek democracy. However, we can absolutely not accept and tolerate Taiwan authorities using democracy as an excuse to pursue independence, and use the 'defensive referendum' to split Taiwan away from China," Guo and Cao were quoted as saying by a Chinese military spokesman.

On bilateral military ties, Myers said a sound relationship between the two big nations and their armed forces is crucial to safeguard international and regional stability.

Also Wednesday, a group of US military officials, led by Myers, became the first foreign delegation to visit the Beijing Aerospace Control Centre, responsible for operation control of China's first manned space mission last October.

Myers is the highest-level US military officer to visit the country since the mid-air collision of an EP-3 US scout plane with a Chinese fighter over the South China sea in 2001.

His visit is regarded as a positive step following Defence Minister Cao's visit to Washington last October in which US defence officials said that the two countries planned to increase military exchanges during 2004.

Cao also became the first Chinese defence chief to visit the Pentagon since 1996.

The mutual visits are seen as fruits of former President Jiang Zemin and US President George W. Bush's 2002 agreement to re-start high-level military exchanges.

Before Myers, the highest-ranking US military officer to visit China under Bush administration was Thomas Fargo, commander of US Pacific Command, who visited China in December 2002.

Today, Myers is scheduled to meet Jiang, who is now chairman of Central Military Commission.

Questions?Comments? Click here

Proposed Taiwan "referendum" risky: Lao deputy PM

Chen Shui-bian defies warning from Bush

Exploration rover "Spirit" lands safely on Mars ( 9 Messages)

Two major state banks to pilot joint-stock system ( 3 Messages)

China pondering its own "green card" system ( 16 Messages)

Roaring BMW: Was it "road rage" or an accident? ( 2 Messages)

Beijing's traffic no longer a headache by year 2008 ( 5 Messages)