Taiwan, China squabble over U.S. arms sales, missing tourists
Taiwan, China squabble over U.S. arms sales, missing tourists
Agencies, Taipei/Kuala Lumpur
Taiwan squabbled with China over a missing group of Chinese tourists and other issues on Friday, while new poll results showed that about 70 percent of Taiwanese believe Beijing is unfriendly toward their government.
The latest friction came as the two rivals' militaries held annual exercises on opposite sides of the 160-kilometer Taiwan Strait. They split amid civil war in 1949, and Beijing has repeatedly threatened war to force unification.
Taiwan criticized China for suggesting on Thursday that the island's tight restrictions on mainland Chinese visitors encourages people-smuggling. Beijing raised the issue after 17 mainland tourists went missing last week shortly after arriving at Taipei's international airport.
One was arrested, and told police the group was looking for work illegally, officials said. Local media reported that two others were caught stealing from travelers' bags at the airport.
Taiwan tightly restricts tourists from China, fearing they might work as spies, saboteurs or illegal laborers.
Taiwanese official Chiu Tai-san on Friday criticized China's comments about the island's tourist restrictions.
"We hope Chinese Communist authorities would refrain from making irresponsible and ignorant comments that could hurt Taiwanese feelings and hamper the development of relations," said Chiu, vice chairman of the Cabinet-level Mainland Affairs Council.
Also on Friday, the council released poll results in which about 70 percent of respondents agreed that China has been unfriendly toward Taiwan's government - and that 49 percent believe China has been unfriendly to the Taiwanese people.
National Chengchi University conducted the telephone survey of 1,153 people on July 16-18. It had a margin of error of 2.98 percentage points, the council said.
China was also angered this month when Singapore's incoming prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong, made a rare trip to Taiwan. Beijing considers Taiwan to be Chinese territory, and bristles when other countries' officials visit the island.
Beijing protested Lee's July 10-12 visit by canceling a trip to Singapore by China's top central banker. Beijing has also threatened to scuttle free-trade talks over Lee's trip, which Singapore described as unofficial and private.
Chiu told reporters that the China-Singapore friction showed how "the Chinese Communists wish to deny Taiwan international standing and exposure."
In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing told visiting U.S. Adm. Thomas Fargo that the United States must stop selling weapons to Taiwan and end military exchanges with the island, China's official Xinhua News Agency reported.
Meanwhile, Malaysia, mindful of neighbor Singapore's diplomatic rift with Beijing, has instructed all ministers to steer clear of official visits to Taiwan, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak said on Friday.
The Malaysian minister, who also holds the defense portfolio, said Kuala Lumpur accepted the Chinese government's demand that countries it had diplomatic ties with adhere to its one-China policy.
"We fully accept the one-China policy and the cabinet has instructed that all ministers obey the one-China policy and not visit Taiwan because this can offend the Chinese government," Najib told a news conference.
He was speaking after meeting Guo Boxiong, vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission, adding the general had said Beijing wanted its policy supported by all other countries.