China warns Taiwan over election results<\/p>\n
BEIJING (AFP): China said on Tuesday it was content to see the
\npeople of Taiwan vote in \"local elections\", but it warned it
\nwould take firm action if it did not like the outcome of the
\nweekend polls.<\/p>\n
Foreign ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi also fired another blast
\nat U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and accused Washington of
\ninterfering in China's internal affairs.<\/p>\n
\"We are glad to see the people of Taiwan can exercise their
\nrights but we will by no means sit idly by if any situation that
\nwe do not want to see arises,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"The elections in Taiwan are local elections, and the election
\nof leaders in Taiwan cannot lead to the result of Taiwan being
\nseparated from the motherland by independent forces there and
\ncannot change the fact that Taiwan is part of China.\"<\/p>\n
Taiwan's three main presidential candidates -- including pro-
\nindependence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Chen
\nShui-bian -- are neck and neck heading into Saturday's
\npresidential polls.<\/p>\n
Former Taipei mayor Chen, who has in the past advocated
\nindependence and the holding of a plebiscite on the island's
\nfuture, has promised to do neither if he wins the vote.<\/p>\n
During the election campaign China has repeatedly warned
\nTaiwan, which it considers a rebel province, that it will launch
\nan invasion if it refuses to enter negotiations on reunification
\nwith the mainland.<\/p>\n
While calling for the healthy development of cross-strait
\nties, Sun also warned that \"the indefinite postponement of the
\nTaiwan question has undermined Chinese sovereignty and
\nterritorial integrity.\"<\/p>\n
He also warned that U.S. arms sales to Taiwan \"constitute
\nserious interference in China's internal affairs.\"<\/p>\n
\"We hope the US will honor its commitments and refrain from
\ndoing anything that will harm the interests of the Chinese side,
\nand refrain from doing anything that will aggravate the tension
\nacross the Taiwan Strait.\"<\/p>\n
Despite China's often repeated demand to the United States to
\nhalt arms sales to Taiwan, U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen
\nsaid last week Washington would not be intimidated by Beijing on
\nthe issue.<\/p>\n
The United States, which last week approved sales of 162
\nupgraded Hawk anti-aircraft missiles to Taiwan, has called on
\nBeijing to show restraint in its comments before the Taiwan
\nelections.<\/p>\n
Under a 1979 law, the United States is committed to providing
\nTaiwan with sufficient arms to defend itself.<\/p>\n
China has forced the issue of cross-strait ties firmly on the
\nelection agenda since releasing a White Paper last month, warning
\nTaiwan with invasion if it continued to avoid talks on
\nreunification under the \"one country, two systems\" formula used
\nfor Hong Kong and Macao.<\/p>\n
\"To address the Taiwan question at an early date and to
\nrealize the full reunification of the country has been put on the
\nagenda, and we will continue to follow the basic guidelines of
\npeaceful reunification and one country two systems,\" Sun said.<\/p>\n
Most Taiwanese people, however, want neither reunification nor
\nindependence, preferring the present ambiguous status quo.<\/p>\n
Taiwan has been ruled separately from the mainland since
\nnationalist forces led by Chiang Kai-shek fled to Taiwan in 1949
\nin the wake of their defeat by Mao Zedong's communists in a civil
\nwar.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/china-warns-taiwan-over-election-results-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}