China warns Taiwan not to seek independence

BEIJING, JAN 2: Just months before Taiwan's Presidential elections, Chinese President Jiang Zemin has warned the island not to seek indepe...

BEIJING, JAN 2: Just months before Taiwan8217;s Presidential elections, Chinese President Jiang Zemin has warned the island not to seek independence.8220;China will not sit idle and tolerate any act calculated to split China, pursue the so-called independence of Taiwan,8217; or harm the fundamental interests of the Chinese people on both sides of the Taiwan straits,8221; Jiang said in a New Year speech.

Major newspapers splashed on their front page the full text of the speech to a tea party of senior communist party officials in Beijing on Saturday. An expert on Taiwan affairs said the speech was aimed at reining in the island ahead of Presidential elections in March. Jiang stopped short of threatening to invade if Taiwan declared independence to avoid upsetting voters, said the analyst who asked not to be identified.

China8217;s envoy to Washington Li Zhaoxing has been quoted as saying Beijing could not accept a victory in the Presidential election by Taiwan8217;s main opposition Democratic Progressive Party, which espousesindependence from China.

Jiang stepped up pressure for Taiwan to reunify with China after the return of Hong Kong in 1997 and Macau last month. 8220;We have reason to believe that the Taiwan issue can definitely be resolved,8221; Jiang said. 8220;When the time is ripe, the two sides of the Taiwan strait should enter into dialogue under the Principle of one China,8221; he said. 8220;Anything can be discussed.8221;

8220;I have to emphatically point out that the One China8217; principle is the basis and premise of peaceful reunification.8221; Taiwan has rejected China8217;s One Country, Two Systems8217; formula, which granted Hong Kong and Macau a large degree of autonomy, as a way of unifying Beijing and Taipei.

Jiang said China was fully aware of the differences between Taiwan and Hong Kong and Macau. 8220;We will take into consideration the different characteristics of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, and Taiwan will be given plenty of flexibility to realise peaceful reunification of China under the One Country8217; premise,8221; Jiangsaid.

Taiwan president Lee Teng-Hui reiterated a call in his New Year8217;s message for the resumption of long-stalled talks with China. But he added that Taiwan would not give up efforts to expand its foreign relations and international status.