- BEIJING (Reuters) - China
condemned Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian Wednesday for saying he was waging
a "holy war" against the mainland, calling him immoral and accusing
him of fanning anti-Beijing sentiment to win votes.
-
- Newspapers in Taiwan, which China regards as a renegade
province, quoted Chen as telling a campaign rally in southern Taiwan Saturday
the March presidential election was a holy war by the Taiwan people against
the Chinese Communists.
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- "He unscrupulously fanned Taiwan compatriots' anti-mainland
sentiment for his own selfish interest and for the elections," Zhang
Mingqing, spokesman for China's policy-making Taiwan Affairs Office, told
a news conference.
-
- "This goes against the will of Taiwan compatriots
to seek peace, stability and development... This is extremely immoral."
-
- Tension has been simmering since Taiwan passed a controversial
bill in November allowing referendums, which China sees as a move toward
independence. Beijing has threatened force if Taiwan drags its feet on
reunification or declares statehood.
-
- "We are resolutely opposed to any form of Taiwan
independence, splittist activities," Chinese President Hu Jintao said
in a New Year's Eve speech. But he stopped short of repeating longstanding
invasion threats.
-
- "We have the greatest sincerity and will make the
greatest effort to realize the peaceful reunification of the motherland."
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- In Taipei, an adamant Chen ignored U.S. warnings and
signed the referendum bill into law Wednesday as expected.
-
- "Today is a historic day," Chen said in a statement.
"Our dream has come true."
-
- President Bush has bluntly warned Taiwan against unilaterally
changing the status quo with China, pouring cold water on Chen's drive
to hold a referendum.
-
- Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei
to Beijing in 1979, but remains the island's main arms supplier and trading
partner.
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- "REMOVE MISSILES"
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- Chen vowed to push ahead with a "peace referendum"
alongside the presidential elections, calling on China to dismantle missiles
aimed at the island.
-
- "Our efforts to practice democracy and maintain
peace cannot be viewed as provocative," Chen said in a New Year's
Eve speech.
-
- "We call on authorities in Beijing, on the opposite
side, to openly renounce military threats and remove missiles," he
said, adding that a referendum was a human right of Taiwan's 23 million
residents.
-
- Zhang, the spokesman, accused Chen of "deceiving"
the Taiwan public and the international community by reneging on a pledge
he made in his May 2000 inaugural speech not to hold a referendum on reunification
versus independence.
-
- Facing a tough re-election battle, Chen has made his
provocative claim that Taiwan and China are separate countries a cornerstone
of his campaign, aiming to shore up support from pro-independence voters.
-
- China announced this month the arrest of 24 suspected
spies from Taiwan and 19 Chinese accomplices, one of the biggest espionage
cases in China's Communist era.
-
- Despite tension, investment, trade and tourism have blossomed
since the late 1980s. Taiwan investors have poured up to $100 billion into
China, lured by low land and labor costs and a common language and culture.
-
- Zhang also said time was running out to charter flights
between China and Taiwan for the Lunar New Year holidays in January.
-
- Taiwan has banned direct air and shipping links with
China since 1949, fearing its security could be compromised.
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