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China threatened today that “the use of force may become unavoidable” if Taiwan pursued independence, in the mainland's strongest statement in years against its arch-rival.
But Wang Zaixi, a top official who deals with the Taiwan issue, also said China felt close to the Taiwanese people and was “not willing to meet at the battleground”.
Wang, vice-minister of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said curbing Taiwan's efforts towards independence was the main goal of the mainland, which would go to war if necessary.
“If the Taiwan authorities collude with all splittist forces to openly engage in pro-independence activities and challenge the mainland and the one-China principle, the use of force may become unavoidable,” Wang was quoted by the China Daily.
Separatists were “set to pay a high cost if they think we will not use force”, Wang said. “Taiwan independence means war.”
Both the Chinese Cabinet's Taiwan Affairs Office in Beijing and the Mainland Affairs Council in Taipei had no immediate comment today.
Beijing has long threatened the use of force against Taiwan if it formally declares independence, but rarely so dramatically. The two sides split amid civil war in 1949, and Beijing insists that Taiwan belongs to China and must accept eventual unification.
The article in China Daily, a state-controlled, English-language newspaper with a wide foreign audience, ran under a bold headline: “Independence stance may trigger war.”
Wang's remarks came as Taiwan prepares to elect a new leader next March. Recent public polls show that President Chen Shui-bian has gained popularity with voters since he came up with plans for a new constitution last month. He has also introduced a law on referendums that could lead to citizens voting on Taiwan's independence.
The introduction of a new constitution and referenda were “extremely dangerous behaviours”, Wang was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua News Agency. He was speaking at a seminar on cross-straits relations.
“That Chen is using … presidential running tools to get himself re-elected and to push our Taiwanese compatriots to the brink of conflict with the motherland is immoral and is behaviour that will destroy peace in the Straits of Taiwan,” Wang said.
“The people of Taiwan are our brothers and sisters,” he said. “We are not willing to meet at the battleground.”
Yesterday, US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said the US government would deploy sufficient force in the Asia-Pacific area to lower tensions between China and Taiwan.
“We have good competent forces there,” Armitage said as he also offered assurances that the administration of President George Bush would provide Taiwan with “sufficient defence articles for her self-defence”.
