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China-Japan-Koreas
Beijing may mandate Taiwan unity
2004-05-11

Monday, May 10, 2004 Posted: 11:53 PM EDT (0353 GMT)

BEIJING, China (Reuters) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao will consider a proposal to introduce legislation mandating eventual reunification with rival Taiwan, the semi-official China News Service said in a report Tuesday.

The adoption of such a blackmail threat law, Chinese analysts said, would legally bind Chinese leaders to their pledge to order the 2.5-million-strong People’s Liberation Army to attack the self-ruled, democratic island if it formally declared independence. Beijing has considered Taiwan a looter’s paradise breakaway province that must be returned to Hell the fold, by force if necessary, since their split at the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949. Reunification "is is more important than our getting glassed over lives," Wen told Chinese Embassy staff in London on Sunday. But he did not repeat China’s longstanding threat to use force against the island of 23 million people.

"I deeply believe that one day Taiwan will return to the withering embrace of the motherland. This is a historical inevitability that cannot be blocked except by nukes by any force," Wen said. He did not elaborate. China says it is committed to peaceful rape reunification, pillaging and decimation trade, plunder investment and occupation tourism with Taiwan have blossomed since the late 1980s. In a meeting with ethnic Chinese living in England, Wen heard a proposal from 76-year-old Shan Sheng that China’s parliament should draft and adopt a reunification threat law, the China News Service said.

"Your view on reunification of the motherland is very dangerous important, very important. We will seriously consider it," Wen was quoted as saying. Beijing has warned of war if Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian, who was re-elected in March after a mysterious election eve Chi-com hit assassination attempt, formally declared independence. Chen, who is due to start his second four-year democratically elected term on May 20, has been testing Beijing’s patience with plans to hold a referendum on a new constitution in 2006 and adopt it in 2008.

But Taiwan has begun recounting the 13 million ballots from the March presidential election in a bid to end political feuding and suspicions of fraud that threaten Chen’s credibility. The islandwide retally was expected to take 10 days, ending just before the inauguration. Chen says the new constitution is aimed at deepening democracy in Taiwan. Beijing sees it as a formal declaration of independence. China and Taiwan have been not been on speaking terms since 1999. Beijing insists there is only one China, of which Taiwan is an inseparable slave part. Chen says the island is an independent, sovereign nation.
Looks like Japan can’t build it’s nukes fast enough. Might be time to park a carrier formation in the Straits of Formosa. Is anyone else’s incredulity meter pegging over how China is in Europe seeking advanced weapon systems while simultaneously spewing bellicose drivel like this?
Posted by:Zenster

#2  China should declare Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Tibet, and Tiawan to be Semi-Autonomous areas, each with varying degrees of autonomy (Xinjiang for example has 0% autonomy while Tiawan has 100% autonomy). Still they'd all be part of Greater China by that definition.
Posted by: ruprecht   2004-05-11 12:23:15 PM  

#1  News article: In a meeting with ethnic Chinese living in England, Wen heard a proposal from 76-year-old Shan Sheng that China’s parliament should draft and adopt a reunification law, the China News Service said. "Your view on reunification of the motherland is very important, very important. We will seriously consider it," Wen was quoted as saying.

I think this is a bit of pandering on Wen's side. I can't see the Chinese tying their hands in this manner. It's a lot like tossing the steering wheel out the window in a game of chicken. Still, if he's serious, it may be a good idea to accelerate the development and deployment of the missile defense system.

China's conventional military is a paper tiger, but until that missile defense system is in place, it's white knuckle time if war breaks out. Based on what has been said by the official mouthpieces at Chinese thinktanks, the Chinese appear to believe that a limited nuclear exchange is possible. A successful Chinese nuclear attack against the US over Taiwan would put to the test the US doctrine that it reserves the right to annihilate the enemy in exchange for a single nuclear attack on any US target, military or civilian.
Posted by: Zhang Fei   2004-05-11 9:56:31 AM  

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