How do we get ourselves into these situations?
Acknowledged China's sovereignty claim
to Taiwan. But by law, the United States must aid
Taiwan's defense.
China Military Warns U.S. on
Taiwan
Friday, 4 February, 7:43 a.m.
B E I J I N G (AP)
ANGRY WITH the U.S. Congress for voting to
strengthen military ties with Taiwan, the Chinese
armed forces on Friday warned Washington not to
confuse China with Yugoslavia and Taiwan with
Kosovo.
A commentary in the newspaper of the People's
Liberation Army said the House's approval of the bill
sends "an extremely dangerous signal."
The bill "has exposed a plot by some American
forces to use military force to thwart China's
ambitions for unification," the Liberation Army Daily
said. "This doubtlessly is playing with fire."
China and Taiwan separated 50 years ago amid civil
war. Beijing claims the island as a rebel province and
threatens to retake it, by force if necessary. The
politically influential army sees itself as the ultimate
protector of China's sovereignty claims.
"On major principals such as defending national
sovereignty and territorial integrity, the Chinese
government has never compromised. Its words have
always counted," the newspaper said.
"China is not Yugoslavia and Taiwan is not Kosovo,"
the commentary added.
The argument recalls China's strong opposition to
NATO's war with Yugoslavia to stop the crackdown
on ethnic Albanians in Kosovo. With restive minority
regions of its own as well as its claim to Taiwan,
China saw NATO's attack without explicit U.N.
approval as a dangerous precedent.
The bill passed by the House on Tuesday would
formalize contacts between the U.S. and Taiwan
militaries, bring more Taiwanese to U.S. military
academies and require the Pentagon to report
annually on threats to Taiwan. The bill still needs to
pass the Senate, and the Clinton administration has
warned of a possible veto.
Taiwan has always been the thorniest of problems in
relations. Washington backed Taiwan's nationalists
for decades against the communists. When it
switched diplomatic relations to Beijing in 1979,
Washington acknowledged China's sovereignty claim
to Taiwan. But by law, the United States must aid
Taiwan's defense. |
