China's army has the ability to crush any attempt by Taiwan to move
towards independence, Defense Minister
Cao
Gangchuan said in a speech reported by state media on Sunday.
Speaking on Saturday ahead of China's August 1 Army Day, Cao
said there could be no peace or stability if Taiwan sought
independence.
"If the 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces obstinately
persist in their course, the Chinese People's Liberation Army has
the determination and ability to resolutely smash any 'Taiwan
independence' separatist plot," Cao said.
In a telephone conversation with US President George W. Bush,
Chinese President Hu Jintao
also urged the United States not to sell arms to the island.
Hu told Bush on Friday that Beijing opposed US sales of
sophisticated weapons to Taiwan.
He told the American leader that the situation across the Taiwan
Straits was very sensitive and complicated, and the two sides
should "act resolutely" against Taiwan independence.
Cao said China hoped to achieve peaceful reunification with
Taiwan.
"But we absolutely will not allow any person, using any means,
to split Taiwan from the motherland," Cao said.
"There is nothing more important than the territorial integrity
of the motherland, and the will of 1.3 billion Chinese people
cannot be spurned," he said.
Beijing sees Chen Shui-bian's goal of adopting a new
constitution by 2008 as a drive towards a formal declaration of
independence, and has been preparing for a possible military
showdown.
Both sides have held war games in recent weeks amid rising
tensions.
(China Daily August 1, 2004)
