Beijing on Friday accused Taipei of resisting reunification with
a military build-up and urged Washington to immediately stop arms
sales to the island province.
Li Weiyi, spokesman with the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State
Council, said Taiwan's attempt to count on military confrontation
to pursue formal "independence" is sabotaging cross-Straits peace
and stability.
He made the remarks as a Taiwan delegation led by "parliament
speaker" Wang Jin-pyng is in the US to determine the fate of a huge
arms deal.
The group is expected to meet Pentagon officials and discuss a
610 billion Taiwan dollars (US$18.2 billion) weapons package that
includes anti-missile systems, submarines and anti-submarine
aircraft.
Li told a regular news conference in Beijing that the military
build-up will only end up undermining the island's economic
development as well as the fundamental interests of Taiwan
compatriots.
The spokesman urged Washington to stick to the one-China policy
and honor its commitment in the three Sino-US communiques.
"We have always been opposed to any official contact and
military cooperation between Taiwan and the United States," he
said. "And we hope the US side can pay heed to our calls to avoid
any damage to Sino-US relations."
As Taiwan's biggest arms supplier, the United States has urged
the island to beef up its defence against the mainland, citing
Beijing's growing military power.
A US Defence Department report recently even proposed the island
consider development of a missile that could strike civilian
targets on the mainland.
Those targets could include the massive Three Gorges Dam, the
world's largest hydroelectric project on the Yangtze River in
central China, or the 468-metre-high Oriental Pearl TV tower in Shanghai.
At the news briefing, Li also reiterated the mainland's
long-standing policy of encouraging economic and cultural exchanges
across the Straits.
"But we don't welcome a small number of people who openly
support 'Taiwan independence' while reaping economic benefits on
the mainland, whether they are from the economic or cultural
circle," he told reporters.
His comments came amid growing anger among mainland people over
a handful of pro-independence business investors and artists from
Taiwan.
On May 31, the overseas edition of People's Daily ran a
front-page commentary sharply criticizing Hsu Wen-lung, founder of
Taiwan's Chi Mei Group, for supporting pro-independence politicians
including Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian.
On June 12, Taiwan pop diva Chang Hui-mei cancelled a planned
performance in Hangzhou, capital city of east China's Zhejiang
Province, because of criticism and protests by some
netizens.
Chang, who sang Taiwan's "national anthem" at the inauguration
of Chen four years ago, has expressed her understanding of the
feelings of the mainland netizens.
Su Chi, former chairman of Taiwan's "mainland affairs council,"
told in Fuzhou that such incidents should not be politicized
because people-to-people exchanges have greatly benefited the
development of cross-Straits ties.
(China Daily June 19, 2004)