<這個 Title 怎麼翻都很 "台" - 中共警告台灣的陳正走向險路>
China warns Taiwan's Chen he is treading a dangerous road
Mon May 24,10:42 AM ET
BEIJING (AFP) - China turned the screw on Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian, warning he was walking a "dangerous road" and again threatening to "completely annihilate" any moves towards Taiwan independence.
"Chen Shui-bian is on the road to independence. This is a very dangerous road," Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Zhang Mingqing said at a briefing on Monday.
"If he doesn't choose to rein in his horses then our only choice is to pay whatever price is necessary to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity ...
"There will be no peace for Taiwan independence and there will be no stability for splittists."
Zhang's comments were the first from his office on Chen's May 20 speech beginning his second four-year term last week.
However, they were largely based on a May 17 statement by the cabinet-level Taiwan Affairs Office which reaffirmed the mainland's hardline stance toward Taiwan independence.
"There is no fundamental change in our position on Taiwan..., Chen Shui-bian must accept the 'one China principle'," Zhang said.
"Like it says in the (May 17) statement, we will completely annihilate the plot for Taiwan independence."
Taiwan criticised the latest salvo from China late Monday, saying Beijing's rhetoric was damaging the prospects of improving cross-straits ties.
"Any verbal threat would harm the feelings of the people on the two sides of the Taiwan Strait," government spokesman Chen Chi-mai told reporters, bemoaning the "old mentality" of China's rulers.
"The Chinese authorities should seek more sincerity and creativity in restoring mutual trust," he said.
During his largely conciliatory inauguration speech, Chen refused to rule out eventual reunification with China and renewed a pledge made in 2000 not to seek independence or a referendum on independence within the coming years.
Beijing has largely ignored the comments and instead threatened military force unless Chen accepts the mainland's terms for reunification.
On Monday, China warned it would "smash" any Taiwan military aircraft that crossed over into mainland airspace, the pro-Beijing Hong Kong daily Wen Wei Po said, in a further sign of rising tensions.
If war breaks out over Taiwan ahead of the 2008 Olympic Games (news - web sites) in Beijing, it would be Chen's fault for refusing to accept the 'one China principle', Zhang said.
"Some people are asking will the Olympic Games be influenced, I think that if Chen Shui-bian wants to challenge the entire world then as the (May 17) statement said we will pay any price to safeguard national sovereignty.
"Chen Shui-bian has shown no sincerity or goodwill toward developing cross-straits relations."
Beijing is further considering a Taiwan Reunification Law aimed at outlawing Taiwan independence moves and protecting state sovereignty, he said.
China may also examine how the profits of Taiwan businesses on the mainland are spent, Zhang said.
Since the end of civil war in 1949, Beijing has considered Taiwan a renegade province awaiting reunification, forcefully if necessary.
Zhang also slammed US high-tech military sales to Taiwan as a violation of a 1982 Sino-US joint communique in which Washington pledged to reduce the amount of weapons sold to the island.
"US arms sales to Taiwan seriously violate the 1982 Sino-US joint communique," Zhang said.
"We have made solemn representations many times and said that this is very wrong. Now, looking forward, whether or not this results in confrontation across the straits is up to which road Chen Shui-bian takes."
Reference:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/afp/20040524/wl_afp/china_taiwan
