China, “Taiwan’s Independence Stance May Trigger War”

In remarks given on November 18, China threatened that war may be unavoidable if Taiwan declares independence.

According to the official Xinhua News Agency, Wang Zaixi, vice-minister of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said at a seminar organized by the Research Center for Cross-Straits Relations that Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian crossed the line, and the main goal of China is to curb Taiwan’s independence goal.

Vice-minister Wang, saying that China wants to resolve the Taiwan issue peacefully without using force, warned, "If Taiwan authorities collude with all splittist forces to openly engage in pro-independence activities and challenge the mainland and the one-China principle, the use of force may become unavoidable."

He added that separatists are set to pay a high price if they think China will not use force, despite Taiwan’s independence activities.

Meanwhile, Wang Daohan, president of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits, a communications channel of cross-straits, criticized President Chen’s introduction of a law referendum in 2006, claiming that he took advantage of the promotion of democracy as camouflage for his separatism goal.