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China Threat to Attack Taiwan Alarms Asia
Monday March 14, 2005 10:31 AM
By JOSEPH COLEMAN
Associated Press Writer
TOKYO (AP) - China's threat Monday to oppose Taiwanese independence with military force triggered a call for peaceful dialogue from Japan and a discussion of Australia's treaty obligations should a war break out.
``I want the two sides to work hard toward a peaceful solution, so there will not be any negative impact,'' said Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, whose government recently declared a diplomatic resolution of the Taiwan dispute as a strategic objective with the United States.
China's parliament passed a law Monday authorizing an attack to stop Taiwan from pursuing formal independence, a day after President Hu Jintao told the Chinese military to be prepared for war.
The ceremonial National People's Congress approved the legislation over U.S. calls for restraint and warnings by Taiwan that it would damage regional stability and fragile ties between Beijing and Taipei.
An outbreak of hostilities would be a severe blow to stability in East Asia, possibly prompting a response from the United States - which has some 50,000 troops in Japan and 35,000 in South Korea - to defend Taiwan.
Such a conflict could pin top U.S. allies in the area such as Japan and Australia between treaty obligations to Washington and reluctance to alienate China, which is assuming a growing political and economic role in the region.
In Australia, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said his government would consult with the United States, as required by the 54-year-old ANZUS treaty, if a Chinese attack on Taiwan triggered an American military response.
But whether Australia would join the fight was a separate question, he said.
``We would be bound to consult with the Americans and the ANZUS treaty could be invoked,'' Downer told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio. ``But that's a very different thing from saying we would make a decision to go to war.''
China is Australia's fastest-growing trading partner and fourth-largest export market. Trade between the two nations totaled $16.4 billion in 2002.
Not all Asian countries were worried about the move. Pakistan, a long time ally of China, supported the new law.
``Pakistan appreciates and fully supports efforts made by Chinese government for reunification of Taiwan to the motherland and considers the recently passed anti-secession law as part of these efforts,'' the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
China Law Authorizes Force Against Taiwan
54 minutes ago World - AP Asia
By CHRISTOPHER BODEEN, Associated Press Writer
BEIJING - China's parliament enacted a law Monday authorizing force to stop rival Taiwan from pursuing formal independence, sparking outrage on the self-governing island and warnings that the measure would fuel regional tensions.
The ceremonial National People's Congress passed the law despite U.S. appeals for restraint. It came a day after President Hu Jintao called on China's military to be ready for war and followed a 12.6 percent increase in the country's defense budget for 2005.
Premier Wen Jiabao said the mainland still wants to unite peacefully with the island and doesn't want to disrupt the status quo.
"It is not targeted at the people of Taiwan, nor is it a war bill," Wen said at a news conference. But he also warned outsiders not to get involved: "We do not wish to see foreign interference."
A Taiwanese government spokesman rejected the measure as a "serious provocation."
"It also brought emotional pain to the Taiwanese people, restricts Taiwan's freedom and democracy, and has a serious impact on security in the East-Asia region," said Joseph Wu, chairman of the island's Mainland Affairs Council, which handles policy toward Beijing.
In a session broadcast on national television, the Chinese delegates burst into applause after the law was approved by a 2,896 to 0 vote, with two abstentions. The body usually votes overwhelmingly for Communist Party policies, but the emphatic result was meant to send a message of the intensity of Beijing's sentiment on the issue.
Taiwan and China split in 1949. Beijing has threatened repeatedly to attack if it tries to make its de facto independence permanent. The United States is Taiwan's biggest arms supplier and could be drawn into any conflict over the island.
A leading Taiwanese lawmaker criticized the measure as a "savage law."
It shows that China "feels futile and doesn't know how to deal with Taiwan's democracy and freedom," said Chen Chin-jun, a member of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party.
"We can clearly see that Taiwan and China ... are not one China. They are two Chinas or one country on each side," Chen said in Taipei. "Whatever law they passed, Taiwan has its own sovereignty, government, country and democracy."
The law says China would "employ nonpeaceful means and other necessary measures to protect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity." It said such steps could be taken if Taiwan declared formal independence, if "major incidents" occurred causing Taiwan to separate permanently from China, or if "possibilities for a peaceful reunification should be completely exhausted."
The law doesn't give details of what specific developments might trigger an attack. It adds no new threats or conditions, but it codifies the measures for authorizing military action.
Legislators said the law would send a message that Beijing's patience was wearing thin.
"For us in the armed forces, this gives us a legal foundation on which to make our preparations to maintain our sovereignty and territorial integrity," said Lt. Zhang Shantong, a delegate from the People's Liberation Army.
Japan warned that the law could increase regional tensions.
"We are concerned about negative effects of the bill on the peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits and the relationship between the two sides, which had been improving," said Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda.
Tokyo and Washington issued a joint statement in February listing for the first time the peaceful resolution of the Taiwan issue as a joint strategic objective.
China has spent heavily in recent years to modernize the PLA, focusing on adding high-tech weapons to extend its reach and back up threats to attack Taiwan.
"We shall step up preparations for possible military struggle and enhance our capabilities to cope with crises, safeguard peace, prevent wars and win the wars if any," Hu said Sunday, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.
Many Chinese are strongly nationalistic and support unification with Taiwan. But because China allows no opposition politicians or free press, it was difficult to gauge the level of genuine support for the law.
On a Beijing street, a migrant from the poor inland province of Anhui who was selling pirated DVDs showed little interest in the government's statements about Taiwan.
"We're ordinary people," said the man, who would give only his surname, Ye. "We worry about what to eat, what to wear."
NATO AIR said:Asia before the tsunami, Iraq/Palestinian elections, Lebanon's freedom uprising,China's "authorization" to invade Taiwan....
"ooo the horrible Americans, the imperialists...."
Asia after:
"uh, America, you're staying here right?"
You have to wonder who is running the show in China this year.... after several years of careful smoke and mirrors, trying to fool the world into thinking they were a peaceful nation... China just drops the mask, says "screw this deception shit" and shows Asia what they are... a communist version of 1930's Japan, eager for conquest, riches and domination of Asia.
Every nation from India to Japan to Indonesia to Singapore just boosted their relations with the US in the last month or so... perhaps for reasons related to the tsunami effort (indonesia), economic enterprise (India), technology (Singapore) or foreboding about war in Taiwan (Japan).... but mainly because they are all beginning to realize the threat China is to peace, prosperity and stability in the region.
j07950 said:China attacking Taiwan would be horrible. I think it could turn ugly...because if we let China do this than it would give them the idea that they could get away with anything, especially with them becoming a major economical power... I'd fully support an intervention from North America, Europe, Japan and Australia to protect Taiwan. Having the major world powers opposing China, may it be militarily or economically would make the Chinese government think twice...
LOL...Rare isn't it!!!no1tovote4 said:Wow, we agree again.
j07950 said:LOL...Rare isn't it!!!
