Wednesday, March 15 12:09 PM SGT
China unleashes fury at US over Taiwan, new threats of war
BEIJING, March 15 (AFP) -
The Chinese military accused the United States Wednesday of using Taiwan as an "unsinkable aircraft carrier" to control China, and warned the island to return to mainland rule or face war.
In a page-long commentary in the military's newspaper headlined "Who wants to push Taiwan towards War" and spiced with harsh rhetoric, the army hammered out a stark message to Taiwan's voters ahead of Saturday's polls.
"Taiwan independence means war. We are prepared to pay any price to protect the peaceful reunification of the motherland," said the editorial in the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Daily.
"The people of the two sides want peaceful reunification. Peaceful reunification is the best choice and the only way to avoid war between the fellow compatriots," said the paper.
The editorial went on to accuse the United States of encouraging Taiwan, considered by Beijing as a rebel province, to move towards independence so that it could use the island as a base to contain China in the post-Cold War era.
"The US thinks Taiwan is its unsinkable aircraft carrier and submarine supply ship," said the paper.
"During the past 50 years, the US has provided 100 billion dollars in various aid to Taiwan, including the sale of armaments worth more than 40 billion dollars.
"The United States has always used Taiwan as a card to restrain China," said the paper, adding that Washington could not avoid blame for the mounting tension in the Taiwan Strait.
China has repeatedly and vociferously condemned US arms sales to Taiwan in the weeks leading up to Saturday's second ever presidential elections on the island.
Chinese leaders have also queued up to warn voters and candidates in the polls that if the island makes any move towards independence, or even stalls on reunficiation talks, it will face war.
Military analysts have dismissed the threats as crude intimidation and electioneering by Beijing, and say the military is making no extra preparations for military action at the moment.
Most military analysts say China would not be capable of launching an invasion for at least five years.
Taiwan has been ruled separately from the mainland since 1949 when nationalist forces fled to the island following their defeat by the communists in a long civil war.
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