China and Taiwan on collision course
Taipei to print new maps that omit mainland China, a move seen as a bid to create a separate new state
Beijing enacts law to conscript civilian transport in timesof war, a move seen as preparingfor military mobilisation
By Ching Cheong
HONG KONG - The new year has kicked off with ominous signs that both sides of the Taiwan Strait are heading closer towards a head-on collision.
On the Taiwanese side, its pro-independence President Chen Shui-bian will publish new maps that will leave out mainland China, a move which Beijing views as an attempt to create a new state separate from the mainland.
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On the Chinese side, Beijing has recently enacted a law legalising government conscription of civilian transportation facilities in times of war.
The law, which took effect on Jan 1, suggests that China is paving the way for military mobilisation.
According to the pro-separatism Liberty Times, Taiwan's Ministry of Interior (MOI) announced recently that it would no longer publish maps covering the entire Republic of China (ROC).
'To enforce a correct concept of our territories, from now on, maps published by the MOI will be restricted to the territories under our control,' said Liberty Times.
According to the Chinese-language newspaper, the new maps will cover only Taiwan, the Pescadores Islands (Penghu), Quemoy (Kinmen), Matsu and the Green Island, as well as the controversial Diaoyutai islands.
As for Tongsha (Pratas) and the Taiping Island in Nansha (Spratly) archipelago, which are far away from Taiwan, they will not appear in the map of Taiwan proper but will be treated as 'inserts'.
'Other islands in the archipelago not under our control will be omitted,' according to a ministry official.
Because of Taiwan's proximity to Fujian, the new maps will include the Chinese province but will show only its counties and cities and leave out towns or villages.
This is the standard practice in cartography to mark one country from another.
The ministry official stressed that the current maps published were based on the outdated concept of a Greater China, which is no longer realistic.
The latest move is the second step creeping towards independence, following the 'redesign' earlier last year of the island's passport, placing Taiwan, within brackets, after the official name ROC.
Beijing regarded the redesign of the passport and redrawing of the map as paving the way for a major constitutional change of the island's status that Mr Chen declared he will make in 2006.
To prepare for a military showdown, Beijing is mobilising civilian transport facilities to supplement its war effort.
The new law that went into effect on Jan 1 started by stating that it sought to enhance the nation's military capability in order to safeguard sovereignty, unification and territorial integrity.
When required, the civilian facilities and the personnel manning them would be re-converted to become combat-worthy.
The legislation makes clear the two situations when it will be applicable: wartime and 'special situation in peace-time'. The latter means, in effect, a war against separatism in Taiwan.
An observer noted that this could be the first of a series of laws that China is going to adopt to demonstrate its resolve to stop separatism by all means.
Others in the pipeline may include laws on national unification and national emergency, as well as one on general mobilisation should the cross-strait situation deteriorate.
straitstimes.asia1.com.sg |
