Disaster looms for Taiwan separatists
( 2003-10-30 10:34) (China Daily HK Edition)
Beijing yesterday warned of a looming disaster if Taiwan leader Chen
Shui-bian presses his separatism plan for a referendum and new "constitution".
"We respect the wishes of Taiwan compatriots to be their own masters, but
firmly oppose any attempt to challenge the one-China principle and split the
motherland," said Zhang Mingqing, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the
State Council.
He told a regular press conference that a handful of
diehard separatist members led by Chen are using the referendum as a ploy for
their splittist conspiracy rather than what they call a promotion of "democracy"
for Taiwan.
Chen has listed introducing referendums and revising the
"constitution" as two of his key campaign promises in a bid to win re-election
in next March's "presidential" polls.
At a mass rally on Saturday in the
southern city of Kaohsiung, Chen said the island needs to rewrite its
"constitution" and pass a law allowing referendums if it wants to become "a
normal and complete country".
The leader of the pro-independence
Democratic Progressive Party told his supporters that "Taiwan and China are one
country at each side (of the Taiwan Straits)," which he first advocated in
August last year.
Chen's recent schemes are widely believed to be aimed
at paving the way for an independence referendum.
Since taking power on
May 20, 2000, the Taiwan leader has refused to embrace the one-China principle
that states there is only one China consisting of both the mainland and Taiwan.
When he assumed office, Chen committed himself to the "four Nos", which
require Taiwan to refrain from declaring independence; changing the "national
title"; including the concept of "state-to-state" relations between the island
and the mainland in its "constitution"; and promoting any referendum on changing
the status quo on independence.
But Zhang noted that Chen's intensified
advocacy of separatism has proven that his pledge to follow the "four Nos" was
nothing but a lie.
Zhang warned that the splittist activities by Taiwan
pro-independence elements, which go against the fundamental interests of Taiwan
compatriots, will only bring disastrous consequences to the island.
"No
form of pro-independence activity can be tolerated by the whole Chinese people
and it is doomed to complete failure," the spokesman said.
"We stand
firm on the issue of safeguarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of
China because it concerns the significant national interests of the entire
Chinese nation and allows no ambiguity and concession."
While promoting
peaceful reunification between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan, Beijing does not
undertake to denounce the use of force in case of Taiwan declaring independence.
And Zhang cautioned that stopovers in the United States by Chen will
damage Sino-US ties and increase cross-Straits tension.
He accused Chen
of using "transit diplomacy" to engage in inappropriate activities to promote
splittist ideas such as "one China, one Taiwan" and "two Chinas".
The
United States granted Chen permission to stop in New York on October 31 and in
Anchorage, Alaska, on November 6 en route to and from Panama, one of a handful
of countries which recognizes Taipei.
At yesterday's press briefing, a
mainland agricultural scientist confirmed that crop seeds from Taiwan were
aboard the Shenzhou-V manned spacecraft, which returned to Earth on October 16
following the historic 21-hour space voyage.
The 33 varieties of crop
seeds, weighing a total of 100 grams - include flowers and vegetables - were
provided by Taiwan counterparts, according to Zhao Linshu, an associate
researcher with the Space Breeding Centre under the Chinese Academy of
Agricultural Sciences.
She said the co-operation will help boost
cross-Straits exchanges in agricultural science and benefit agricultural
development on both sides of the Straits.
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