[A-List] Beijing: Force an option against Taiwan secession

["Sabri Oncu" <soncu@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Beijing: Force an option against Taiwan secession


Under a new anti-secession bill unveiled today in Beijing, China says it
could use military action against Taiwan if peaceful means fail to stop the
island from pursuing independence. China has considered Taiwan a renegade
province since communist forces drove nationalists from the mainland in
1949, and has repeatedly threatened to use military power against the island
if it declares independence.

FULL STORY:
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Beijing lays down law over Taiwan

BEIJING, China (CNN) -- China has unveiled a controversial new law that
would allow Beijing to use military action against Taiwan if peaceful means
fail to stop the island pursuing independence.

In a highly anticipated announcement, Beijing on Tuesday released details of
the planned new anti-secession bill during its annual session of parliament.

A leading Communist party official said force would be a last resort if
reunification efforts fail.

China has considered Taiwan a renegade province since communist forces drove
nationalists from the mainland in 1949, and has repeatedly threatened to use
military power against the island if it declares independence.

"Using non-peaceful means to stop secession in defense of our sovereignty
and territorial integrity would be our last resort when all our efforts for
a peaceful reunification should prove futile," Wang Zhaoguo, vice-chairman
of the National People's Congress (NPC), told the session.

In the event of any conflict, China would take the utmost care to protect
civilians and foreigners, as well as their property, Wang stressed.

Taiwan issued a strong protest against the proposed law, saying it ignores
the island's sovereignty and raises tension in the region by giving the
Chinese military a blank check to attack. (Full story)

The bill comes under the banner of the "One-China Policy" and "draws a
legislative line in the sand," CNN's Beijing Correspondent Stan Grant said.

"The key thing here is they are stressing, above all, China's sovereignty,"
Grant said.

The new legislation is designed to put a legal framework behind those
threats, analysts have said.

"(Beijing) hopes to establish legal basis for (its) Taiwan policy ... and
Chinese leaders want to establish a base line," Joseph Cheng, a political
science professor from the City University of Hong Kong, told CNN Tuesday.

"Taiwan probably will try to present itself as a victim of the law," Cheng
added, and said Taipei would likely claim that it had done nothing to
provoke the legislation.

China's Congress is expected to unanimously pass the law when its session
wraps up on March 14.

Details of the planned law had been kept under close wraps, and had been the
subject of much speculation and concern, particularly in Taiwan, where there
are fears the law will give China a legal basis to take military action
against the island.

Despite China's insistence that the aim of the bill is peaceful unification,
there has been a sense of unease over cross-strait relations in recent days.

About 15,000 people marched in the Taiwan city of Kaohsiung on Sunday to
protest what some called a "war preparation" bill, and Taiwan President Chen
Shui-bian said recently said that the proposed law cast a "dark cloud" over
relations between the island and mainland China.

China wants to negotiate with Taiwan "as equal partners" and discussed
strengthening education, sporting and cultural ties across the strait, Wang
added.

On Sunday, China's Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing warned Japan and the United
States against interfering in China's internal affairs, especially regarding
Taiwan.

"Any practice of putting Taiwan directly or indirectly into the scope of
Japan-U.S. security cooperation constitutes an encroachment on China's
sovereignty and interference in internal affairs," Li told a news
conference.

Last month both Japan and the United States listed security in the Taiwan
Strait as a common concern.

Beijing has said unequivocally that a secession attempt by Taiwan would not
be tolerated.

"We will never allow separatist forces to secede from the great motherland
... we will never allow it," Li said.

The issue has been at the forefront in recent years because of moves by
President Chen to hold a referendum on a new constitution for Taiwan which
Beijing worries could include a declaration of independence for the island.

Washington is bound to defend Taiwan's security in the event of any attack
from the mainland, but has increasingly warned Taipei against unilateral
moves to change the status quo.

The proposed anti-secession bill comes against the backdrop of an increase
in China's military budget, which has also been raising eyebrows.

Beijing's arms budget will rise 12.6 percent this year to 247.7 billion yuan
($29.9 billion), parliament spokesman Jiang Enzhu said Friday. (Full story)

CNN Beijing Correspondent Stan Grant and Producer Tara Duffy contributed to
this report
 
  
Find this article at: 
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/03/07/china.npc.law/index.html