China watching Taiwan, preparing for consequences

BEIJING, Mar 14: China is watching Taiwan closely and preparing for any possible consequences of Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian's decision to scrap a national unification council, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said today.

Wen also said Beijing was willing to have dialogue with Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) as long as it is willing to give up its pro-independence platform.

Late last month, Chen scrapped a dormant but symbolic body and 15-year-old guidelines on unification, triggering condemnation from China, which considers Taiwan part of its territory.

But Beijing has stopped short of repeating long-standing threats to attack the self-governed, democratic island if it formally declares statehood.

Chen's actions were ''brazenly challenging the one-China principle'', and were ''massively risky, foolhardy and deceptive'', Wen told a news conference at the end of the annual session of parliament.

''We are closely observing developments and making preparations to deal with any possible consequences.'' Chen was ''creating trouble to deflect attention, creating discord on the island and tensions across the Taiwan Strait''.

''No matter what party affiliation they may have, no matter who they are, no matter what they said or did in the past, as long as they are committed to the one-China principle, we are ready to have dialogue and negotiations with them, even including those people from the Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan,'' Wen said.

''As long as the party is willing to give up its platform of so-called 'Taiwan independence', we are willing and ready to make positive responses to their move, and we are willing to have contacts and consultations with them.'' China and Taiwan split in 1949 at the end of the Chinese civil war, but Beijing still claims sovereignty over Taiwan, which styles itself as the Republic of China.

The DPP dismissed Wen's offer for dialogue, saying its pro-independence stance was approved through democratic process and could not be dropped easily.

''They have no idea what the democracy is,'' DPP secretary-general Lin Chia-lung told a news conference. ''If China does not embrace democracy, there will be no peace across the Taiwan Strait.'' Lin said the DPP planned to mobilise 100,000 people to protest China's anti-secession law, passed in March last year, which legalises the use of force against the self-ruled island.

REUTERS