Global aid sought to check Taipei separatists
By Eddie Luk (China Daily)
Updated: 2004-08-07 00:54

A senior Taiwan affairs official Friday warned of a continuing "complicated and serious" situation across the Taiwan Straits and called for concerted global efforts to check "pro-independence" forces on the island.

"Taiwan separatists are using all kinds of well-planned and premeditated means to pursue "Taiwan independence." Their separatist activities have become a real danger. The cross-Straits relations have been pushed to the brink," said Wang Zaixi, deputy director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council.

Wang made the remarks at a forum on cross-Straits relations and Asia-Pacific security held by the Hong Kong Region China Peaceful Reunification Association in Hong Kong, which closes on Saturday.

Wang noted recently that Taiwanese authorities, on the one hand, appear to have toned down their separatist rhetoric and backed off from pro-independence activities, while on the other hand giving a wink and a nod to the separatist activities by some die-hard activists. The separatists are represented by former Taiwan leader Lee Teng-hui, and are pushing for the creation of a new constitution through referendums.

Last month, Lee even staged an island-wide "Action for a Taiwanese Constitution" campaign for an "independence constitution" in 2008.

"In fact, the Chen Shui-bian administration has not stopped its efforts to seek 'Taiwan independence' through a 'constitutional re-engineering.' It has not abandoned its independence timetable," Wang said, citing the island's plan to buy 600 billion Taiwan dollars worth of weapons from the United States.

"There will be no peace with Taiwan independence; no stability with separatist activities," he said.

He stressed that safeguarding China's sovereignty and territorial integrity is the common will and strong determination of 1.3 billion Chinese people.

The Chinese Government and people will under no circumstances allow anyone to use whatever means to separate Taiwan from China.

He said the "most pressing task" for the Chinese Government is to curb "Taiwan independence" activities and safeguard peace and stability across the Straits.

"If Chen Shui-bian misjudges the situation, persists in his 'Taiwan independence' position, or moves recklessly to create a grave turn of events leading to Taiwan independence, we will then take all necessary measures to safeguard our national sovereignty and territorial integrity," he warned. "We will smash the conspiracy for 'Taiwan independence'."

Meanwhile, Wang reaffirmed that the central government is still holding to the principles of "one country, two systems'' and "peaceful reunification.

"We deeply believe that they are the best way to solve the Taiwan problem and tally with the best interests of Chinese people,'' Wang said.

"As long as there is a ray of hope for peaceful reunification, we will not give up efforts in this regard," he said.

On the same occasion, Zhang Kehui, vice-chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, also called on people on both sides of the Straits to build mutual trust and unite to work for the reunification of Taiwan with the motherland.

Zhang noted that frequent exchanges have taken place across the Straits, with an average of more than 3 million Taiwanese visiting the mainland each year.

"Exchanges and co-operation are conducive not only to the maintenance of the stability of the cross-Straits situation, but also to the peace and stability in the Asia Pacific region and the world as a whole," Zhang said.

He said it is the responsibility of the mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and overseas Chinese to stand firm against pro-Taiwan independence activities.

Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary for Constitutional Affairs Clement Mak said Friday the successful implementation of the principle of "one country, two systems'' in Hong Kong has served as a best example for Taiwan's peaceful reunification with the motherland.

"We hope the Hong Kong experience will have a positive effect on national reunification,'' he said.

Also, Mak said Hong Kong will continue to play a bridging role to foster closer exchanges of civil and societal parties between the city and Taiwan.

More than a hundred of the peaceful reunification association's overseas representatives, top mainland officials, politicians and academics from the mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong attended the forum.

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