China warns Taiwan over election results

China warns Taiwan over election results

BEIJING (AFP): China said on Tuesday it was content to see the people of Taiwan vote in "local elections", but it warned it would take firm action if it did not like the outcome of the weekend polls.

Foreign ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi also fired another blast at U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and accused Washington of interfering in China's internal affairs.

"We are glad to see the people of Taiwan can exercise their rights but we will by no means sit idly by if any situation that we do not want to see arises," he said.

"The elections in Taiwan are local elections, and the election of leaders in Taiwan cannot lead to the result of Taiwan being separated from the motherland by independent forces there and cannot change the fact that Taiwan is part of China."

Taiwan's three main presidential candidates -- including pro- independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Chen Shui-bian -- are neck and neck heading into Saturday's presidential polls.

Former Taipei mayor Chen, who has in the past advocated independence and the holding of a plebiscite on the island's future, has promised to do neither if he wins the vote.

During the election campaign China has repeatedly warned Taiwan, which it considers a rebel province, that it will launch an invasion if it refuses to enter negotiations on reunification with the mainland.

While calling for the healthy development of cross-strait ties, Sun also warned that "the indefinite postponement of the Taiwan question has undermined Chinese sovereignty and territorial integrity."

He also warned that U.S. arms sales to Taiwan "constitute serious interference in China's internal affairs."

"We hope the US will honor its commitments and refrain from doing anything that will harm the interests of the Chinese side, and refrain from doing anything that will aggravate the tension across the Taiwan Strait."

Despite China's often repeated demand to the United States to halt arms sales to Taiwan, U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen said last week Washington would not be intimidated by Beijing on the issue.

The United States, which last week approved sales of 162 upgraded Hawk anti-aircraft missiles to Taiwan, has called on Beijing to show restraint in its comments before the Taiwan elections.

Under a 1979 law, the United States is committed to providing Taiwan with sufficient arms to defend itself.

China has forced the issue of cross-strait ties firmly on the election agenda since releasing a White Paper last month, warning Taiwan with invasion if it continued to avoid talks on reunification under the "one country, two systems" formula used for Hong Kong and Macao.

"To address the Taiwan question at an early date and to realize the full reunification of the country has been put on the agenda, and we will continue to follow the basic guidelines of peaceful reunification and one country two systems," Sun said.

Most Taiwanese people, however, want neither reunification nor independence, preferring the present ambiguous status quo.

Taiwan has been ruled separately from the mainland since nationalist forces led by Chiang Kai-shek fled to Taiwan in 1949 in the wake of their defeat by Mao Zedong's communists in a civil war.