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Strategies & Market Trends : China Warehouse- More Than Crockery -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: RealMuLan who wrote (4519)	3/8/2005 11:25:16 PM
From: RealMuLan	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 6370

Beijing unveils anti-secession bill John Ruwitch and Benjamin Kang Lim March 9, 2005 China has unveiled an anti-secession bill allowing military force to thwart any bid for independence by Taiwan but sought to ease United States concerns by leaving itself other options. The bill has raised alarm bells in Taiwan, the US and Japan, but diplomats and analysts said the draft's emphasis on "nonpeaceful'' means as a last resort appeared designed to provide Beijing alternatives to war, such as blockades or sanctions. Beijing has claimed sovereignty over Taiwan since their split at the end of a civil war in 1949 and has threatened to attack the democratic island of 23 million if it formally declares statehood. The bill calls for the use of nonpeaceful means should ``major incidents'' entailing Taiwan's secession from China occur, or should possibilities for a peaceful reunification be completely exhausted, Wang Zhaoguo, a vice chairman of parliament, told the law-making body. He did not elaborate. ``Using nonpeaceful 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 said, quoting from the bill. He said the bill was ``necessary and timely,'' but added that China was still committed to peaceful reunification with Taiwan. ``So long as there is a glimmer of hope for peaceful reunification, we will exert our utmost to make it happen rather than give it up,'' said Wang, who sits on the Communist Party's elite 24-member Politburo. In Taipei, the bill sparked an expected angry response from the government. ``Communist China tries to use this bill to deny the sovereignty of the Republic of China and unilaterally change the status quo of the Taiwan Strait,'' said Chiu Tai-shan, vice-chairman of Taiwan's policy-making Mainland Affairs Council. ``It has caused tension in the region,'' he said. ``We voice our strongest protest.'' Asked to comment, Taiwan Premier Frank Hsieh told parliament he supported revising sensitive parts of the constitution if China passed the bill legalizing an attack and including Taiwan as part of the People's Republic of China. But Chen Yuchun, a China expert at Taiwan's private Chinese Culture University, said: ```Nonpeaceful means' is a lot more flexible and could include economic sanctions, a blockade, and not necessarily refer to military conflict. The choice of words is certainly more moderate.'' A Western diplomat in Beijing said: ``The Chinese are doing the maximum they can now to soften the blow of this legislation. [But] they certainly are not going to backtrack on passing it.'' Taiwan stocks gave up earlier gains to close down 0.76 percent Tuesday, but mainly on renewed fears over the mainland's measures to cool its economy. Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian has called the legislation the biggest threat to regional stability. Thousands took part in a protest march against the bill in southern Taiwan Sunday. The United States, the island's main arms supplier, and Japan have been alarmed about the implications for one of the world's hottest flash points. Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, who spoke to his US counterpart Condoleezza Rice about Taiwan Tuesday, said the issue was China's business and China's alone. ``This is a domestic matter, our internal affair,'' Li said. ``No foreign force has the right or qualification to interfere. ``We Chinese people have the wisdom, resolve, ability and confidence to unite as one and protect our country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.'' Beside the stick, the bill also contains a carrot. It aims to encourage economic exchanges and cooperation and realize direct trade and transport links between the two sides to their mutual benefit, Wang said. Taiwan has banned nonstop air and shipping links since 1949 due to security fears, but trade, investment and tourism have flourished in recent years. Taiwan investors have poured up to US$100 billion (HK$780 billion) into the mainland. The bill calls for Beijing and Taipei to negotiate an end to their state of hostility and map out future relations with an eye to eventual peaceful reunification. The rivals could also resume fence-mending dialogue, stalled since 1999, on the post-reunification status of the island in the international community, according to the bill. Beijing has pushed Taipei into diplomatic isolation. The rubber-stamp parliament is expected to unanimously pass the bill on March 14. REUTERS thestandard.com.hk