BEIJING -- China on Friday vowed to take back Taiwan at any cost and told the United States to wake up to the danger of selling arms to the island.

Washington must 'fully realise the seriousness, danger and gravity of the arms sale and rein in its horse at the brink of the precipice,' said an editorial in the government mouthpiece, the Guangming Daily.

The government pledged through state media that it would not allow the US to prevent the reunification of the Chinese mainland with Taiwan, by force if necessary.

'China is a peace-loving nation and the Chinese army is a peace-loving army, but when the territorial land, water and air are violated, we will fight to the end at any price,' said an editorial in the military's Liberation Army Daily.

The threats came two days after US President George W. Bush approved the most significant arms sale to Taiwan since 1992, a move that has infuriated China, which views the island as a renegade province.

China believes the sale of sophisticated weapons to Taiwan will bolster pro-independence forces on the island and threaten its plans for national unification.

Beijing on Thursday also warned Mr Bush that he was moving into dangerous territory with his pledge a day earlier to do 'what it takes' to protect Taiwan from Chinese attack.

The editorials on Friday said US policymakers should not underestimate China's determination and ability to 'solve the Taiwan issue'.

'On the question of national sovereignty and territorial integrity, the Chinese people will never give in to any pressure,' the Guangming Daily said.

By continuing to sell arms to Taiwan, the US would not only increase tensions across the Taiwan Strait and in the East Asian region, but would bring harm to itself, warned the editorials, which were signed by unidentified writers.

'If the US continues to provide arms to Taiwan, it's equivalent to turning Taiwan into an arsenal, which could explode at any time,' the Guangming Daily said.

'This not only brings Taiwan people greater danger, but also harms the peace and stability of the Asia-Pacific region and finally harms the United States itself.' -- AFP

http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/breakingnews/story/0,1895,39906,00.html?

-- Anonymous, April 27, 2001

Answers

BBC report - Friday, 27 April, 2001, 10:56 GMT 11:56 UK

China vents fury at Bush

Anti-Taiwan sentiment is splashed over the media China has stepped up its angry condemnation of the United States for pledging military support to Taiwan.

In the fiercest rhetoric from Beijing since President Bush's decision to sell Taiwan more advanced weaponry, China's official media accused Washington of turning the island into an arsenal that could explode at any moment.

At the same time, Taiwanese leaders have attempted to reduce tensions by calling on Beijing to resume direct talks, which broke down two years ago.

Sino-US relations have deteriorated sharply in recent weeks following successive rows over a US spy plane, American sales of advanced weaponry to Taiwan, visas for Taiwanese leaders and US detainees in China.

Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian said dialogue would help stabilise relations with China which were his top priority.

Beijing angrily suspended fence-mending talks with Taipei in July 1999 after then President Lee Teng-hui redefined bilateral ties as being of a "special state-to-state" nature.

Beijing views the island as a renegade province to be reunited with the mainland, by force if necessary.

Friday's edition of the Liberation Army Daily said China would fight to the end, and pay any price, to defend its land, sea and air.

Another official paper said US policy on Taiwan had taken it to the edge of a precipice.

'Dangerous road'

Already strained Sino-US ties took a nosedive on Wednesday when Mr Bush told a US television network that the use of military force was "certainly an option" if China ever invaded its island neighbour.

The US president said his comments were not a change in policy, but clarification of an existing position which sees a need for Taiwan to bolster its defences in response to a growing threat from China.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said in reply that the US president was heading down "a dangerous road" and warned the comments "undermined peace and stability".

Beijing had already strongly condemned the White House's decision to sell Taiwan a substantial number of submarines, aircraft and destroyers.

Mr Bush has since tried to play down his remarks.

He has said he does not expect either the arms sales, or the spy plane stand-off to affect his visit to China in the autumn.

The BBC Beijing correspondent says, however, that the remarks have prompted deep concern in China that US policy is moving in a new and dangerous direction.

Funeral, secrets lost

The event which sparked the diplomatic spat was the mid-air collision between a US spy plane and a Chinese fighter jet on 1 April.

China took 11 days to free the US crew after their EP-3 plane landed on its territory.

Talks between the two sides have yet to secure the return of the plane, which was loaded with hi-tech gadgetry.

US defence officials acknowledged on Thursday that, despite the best efforts of crew members to destroy the equipment, some secrets fell into Chinese hands. They declined to describe the extent of the loss.

A funeral for the Chinese pilot lost in the clash, Wang Wei, was held on Thursday. He is believed to have ejected over the sea but his body was never found.

-- Anonymous, April 27, 2001

On these arm sales to Taiwan, I hope that the .gov gets a little smarts. Say we sale them all that technology, and China is successful in taking back Taiwan. Now what? They'll have even more of our technology.

Wish that they could 'build' in a little remote destruction equipment in the walls of those arms, so that if China gets them that we can self destruct them.

-- Anonymous, April 27, 2001

Military dictatorships make be nervous. They only understand power and control, but never freedom and cooperation. I was watching a documentary on Argentina that looked at the conflict that arose over the Faulkland Islands. That situation was sparked by a military dictatorship that was struggling to maintain it's hold on the people. I think the Chinese military may also try to use Taiwan as their flag waving call to arms, but these things never do work out like the pea- brained dictators think it will. In the end, when the dust settles, the Chinese people may very well find themselves with a whole new leadership and the beginnings of some sort of new government system.

-- Anonymous, April 27, 2001