China's army newspaper "Liberation Army Daily" published a commentator's article Monday titled "'Taiwan Independence' Means War". The people's armed forces will carry out the sacred mission of safeguarding the motherland unification, the article said.

The recent white paper -- "One-China Principle and Taiwan Issue" -- issued by the Chinese government has aroused strong repercussions at home and abroad. In the Government Work Report delivered at the Third Session of the Ninth National People's Congress, Premier Zhu Rongji further expounded on the Chinese Government's consistent position on solving the Taiwan Issue.

While joining the PLA delegation in its discussion on the Government Work Report at the NPC session, Vice-Chairman of the Central Military Commission Zhang Wannian made a speech, fully reflecting the common desire of the men and officers of the army and the armed forces for the complete reunification of the motherland at an early date and expressing our determination and confidence to solve the Taiwan issue, the article says.

The people's armed forces will better carry out the sacred mission of safeguarding the motherland unification in line with the requirements of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee and the Central Military Commission, says the article.

Following the return to the motherland of Hong Kong and Macao, the great cause of promoting the peaceful reunification of the motherland has entered a new historic stage.

The article points out that putting an end to the separation situation across the Taiwan Straits and realizing full reunification of the motherland at an early date concerns the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation and is an irreversible historic trend.

The Communist Party of China and Chinese government have showed great sincerity and exerted enormous efforts to realize peaceful reunification through the "one country, two systems" principle.

The article condemns "Taiwan Independence" and separatist forces who have fabricated the "two-states statement" and continued their attempt to split the motherland.

Recently the leader of the group who have always advocated "Taiwan Independence" has used beautiful words to deceive the Taiwan people. His recent "White Paper on Constitutional Policies" is in fact a "declaration of Taiwan independence," the article says. The article warns people not to be misled by his beautiful words.

It says that China is consistently opposed to any foreign forces to meddle in the Taiwan issue and is against a handful of U.S. congressmen who attempted to sell advanced weapons to Taiwan by concocting the Taiwan Security Enhancement Act and utilizing all kinds of pretexts.

"We hope for peaceful reunification. We know full well that Taiwan compatriots long for peace. We don't want to see war and we believe that Taiwan compatriots don't want to see war and don't want to see our own flesh and blood resort to arms," the commentary says.

"We have the greatest sincerity for realizing peaceful reunification and will try every means possible and do our utmost to seek peaceful reunification," the article stresses.

"However, we must explicitly point out that 'Taiwan independence' means war and separation will lead to no peace since 'Taiwan independence' and separation can only undermine China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, can only separate Taiwan from the motherland and can only make peaceful reunification of the motherland impossible," the article says.

Realizing the full reunification of the motherland is the greatest interests of the state and the nation, is the staunch will of all the Chinese people, and is a great goal that can never be changed. "There is no room for any compromise on this important matter of principle which concerns the future and fate of the Chinese nation," says the article.

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) has always regarded safeguarding the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity and realization of the full reunification of the motherland as itssacred mission.

"We have full determination, confidence, capability and the means to safeguard the state sovereignty and territorial integrity and will never allow an inch of land to be separated from the territory of the motherland.

"To safeguard the interests of all the Chinese people including Taiwan compatriots and to safeguard peace and development of the Asia-Pacific Region, we firmly support our government's "peaceful reunification, and one country, two systems" principle on resolving the Taiwan issue as well as the Eight-point Propositions by President Jiang Zemin on promoting the peaceful reunification of the motherland and try every means possible to seek peaceful reunification".

"However, as for the 'Taiwan independence' and separatist forces, the People's Liberation Army's millions of troops stand in combat readiness, are on the high alert and will never allow and sit by idly for any attempt to split China to succeed," says the article.

The commentary says, "we will adopt all measures to firmly crush any attempts to divide China and will realize the complete reunification of the motherland," if any major incident to separate Taiwan from China under any pretexts occurs, if any foreign country invades and occupies Taiwan and if Taiwan authorities refuse indefinitely to solve the reunification issue peacefully through negotiations.

If "Taiwan independence" and separatist forces dare to split the motherland, they will be certainly punished by history, the commentary warns.