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China: U.S., Japan stay out
Sunday, March 6, 2005 Posted: 4:05 AM EST (0905 GMT)
BEIJING, China -- China's Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing has warned Japan and the United States against interfering in internal matters, especially when it comes to Taiwan.
"Any practice of putting Taiwan directly or indirectly into the scope of Japan-U.S. security cooperation constitutes an encroachment on China's sovereignty and interference in internal affairs," Reuters quoted Li as telling a news conference on Sunday.
Last month both Japan and the United States listed security in the Taiwan Strait as a common concern.
One day after reiterating that China will never allow Taiwan's independence, Li said on day two of the annual session of parliament there was no need to jump to conclusions over an anti-secession bill to be unveiled later this week.
Some people worry the bill will give China a legal basis to take military action against Taiwan if the island moves toward independence, and are calling it a "war preparation" bill.
China has considered Taiwan a renegade province since communist forces drove nationalists from the mainland in 1949, and has repeatedly threatened to use military power against the island if it declares independence.
The measure has triggered vast opposition in Taiwan, with one leader saying it is a "dark cloud" hanging over relations between the island and mainland China.
Speculation is swirling about the content of the bill, to be unveiled Tuesday.
China has insisted the aim of the bill is peaceful unification, but has said unequivocally that a secession attempt by Taiwan will not be tolerated.
The other primary international concern is North Korea's nuclear policy.
China says its goal is a Korean peninsula free of nuclear weapons and it is urging renewed six-party talks in a bid to achieve that.
North Korea announced last month that it had built nuclear weapons and would boycott the talks indefinitely.
Besides North Korea, the nations involved are the United States, Japan, South Korea, China and Russia.
Asked whether China would impose sanctions if North Korea continued to refuse to participate in the talks, Li refused to respond directly.
The task of re-igniting the talks is up to the two major sovereign nations -- the United States and North Korea, he said.
It is up to them "to increase their mutual trust and understanding," Li added.
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I said ten years ago that the US might be in indirect combat with China by now. It looks like my timing was off, but maybe not by much.
China is also devoting a huge amount of resources to submarines. We are not, and subs are very long-fused to construct and man.
I haven't researched--does anyone know if we have a treaty in which we promise to defend Taiwan? I thought we did at one time.
In any case, I think this will make Iraq look tame. It also makes me wonder how hard Taiwan would have to work to achieve nuclear capability, which is the only thing that
might keep China from sending troops in. Every terrorist in the world seems to have an angle on purchasing nukes, and the Soviets don't even know how many they're missing.
Sleep tight, peaceniks. Take a warm coat with you--Canada can get cold.