- BEIJING (Reuters) - China,
in its strongest statement yet on the political crisis convulsing Taiwan
since its controversial election, warned on Friday it would not stand idly
by if the situation on the island spirals out of control.
-
- Analysts said the strong words were aimed at preventing
Taiwan independence backers from pushing their agenda after Saturday's
narrow re-election of President Chen Shui-bian in a contest immediately
rejected by the opposition.
-
- "We will not sit by watching should the post-election
situation in Taiwan get out of control, leading to social turmoil, endangering
the lives and property of our flesh-and-blood brothers and affecting stability
across the Taiwan strait," Beijing's policy-making Taiwan Affairs
Office said in a statement.
-
- It reiterated that China was paying close attention to
events on the island, which has been racked by protests and political paralysis
since Chen, who leans toward Taiwan independence, won re-election by the
thinnest of margins on Saturday. The opposition swiftly contested the result
and demanded a recount.
-
- "We have noticed that the electoral institution
of Taiwan region has announced the March 20 election results in disregard
of strong opposition from one competing side," the Taiwan Affairs
Office spokesman said but gave no further details.
-
- Beijing regards Taiwan as a renegade province that must
return to the fold, by force if necessary, but the statement stopped short
of making any military threats.
-
- China's response came after angry supporters of defeated
Taiwan presidential challenger Lien Chan stormed the Central Election Commission
on Friday, but failed to stop it from formally declaring Chen the winner.
-
- One analyst said China was trying to warn off independence
backers from disrupting an expected demonstration by supporters of Lien
on Saturday.
-
- "This is to prevent violence at the protest tomorrow,"
said one mainland expert on Taiwan, who asked to remain anonymous.
-
- The president edged Saturday's poll by just 30,000 votes
out of 13 million cast, one day after surviving an apparent assassination
attempt.
-
- The protesters at election headquarters in central Taipei
threw rocks and eggs and scuffled with helmeted riot police carrying shields
before storming into the building where commission members were meeting.
-
- Two burning petrol bombs were found outside the headquarters
of the opposition People First Party, said a spokesman for the party, which
is allied with Lien's Nationalists. No damage or injuries were reported.
-
- China has not commented directly on the result of the
election to avoid playing into Chen's hands, but it has played up the opposition
protests in reports carried in domestic media.
-
- Analysts said China, which regards Chen with deep suspicion,
clearly would have preferred the more moderate Lien.
-
- Beijing and Taipei have been rivals since their split
at the end of a civil war in 1949, but trade, investment and tourism have
blossomed since the late 1980s.
-
- Shortly after the vote, Beijing condemned Chen for holding
the island's first referendum in tandem with the presidential vote, but
said only that it was closely monitoring post-election developments. On
Tuesday, the Foreign Ministry stressed that no matter who won, Taiwan belonged
to China.
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