Taiwan independence means war — Chinese Army

BEIJING, FEB 29: The Chinese Army on Tuesday warned Taiwan's pro-independence politicians that their attempts to separate the island from ...

BEIJING, FEB 29: The Chinese Army on Tuesday warned Taiwan’s pro-independence politicians that their attempts to separate the island from mainland would certainly mean war.

Any attempts to separate China and seek independence by Taiwan separatist forces threaten the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China, an article in China’s Army newspaper People’s Liberation Army Daily said.

It said the PLA will spare no efforts to fight for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the motherland.

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Warning Taiwan President Lee Teng-Hui and others, the paper said the PLA would take firm measures against separatist activities in Taiwan, which China views as a rebel province that must be reunified with the mainland.

The rhetoric comes ahead of the March 18 presidential polls in Taiwan which China says is a local election.

The Army newspaper had yesterday warned the United States it would pay a heavy price for any military intervention over Taiwan.

It also boasted that China had the weapons to launch a counter-attack on the United States. China last year tested the DF-31 nuclear capable intercontinental ballistic missile that could hit targets in the US.

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If they get involved, the American policy makers will have to consider the pressure they will shoulder and the costs they will pay, Deputy Director of Strategic Research Institute of University for Mational Defence Zhu Chenghu said.

"China is not Iraq, nor Yugoslavia… She is a country with certain strategic attack capabilities and long range attacking capabilities. So it would not be wise to fight against a country like China," Zhu warned.

The warning coincided with the ongoing visit by the commander of the US Pacific Forces, Admiral Dennis Blair, who is holding talks with senior Chinese military officials on sensitive issues affecting US-China relations, especially the Taiwan question.

Tension over the vexed Taiwan has been steadily growing since China last week issued a white paper on the Taiwan issue, warning the island it would face military action if it continued to reject the reunification process through dialogue.

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Prior to the 1996 elections in Taiwan, China conducted large-scale military exercises and lobbed missiles off Taiwanese waters in a clear attempt to intimidate and influence Taiwanese voters.

Alarmed by Chinese actions, the United States responded by sending two naval battle carrier groups to the Taiwan straits. Though the presence of US warships ended the provocative Chinese military exercises, it aroused anti-US feelings within the Chinese military brass.

Meanwhile, the People’s Daily, the ruling Communist party’s mouthpiece, said the Chinese armed forces are an important guarantee for containing Taiwan independence.

To safeguard state sovereignty and territorial integrity is the sacred mission entrusted by the State’s Constitution to the PLA, it added.