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.