China slams Taiwan's plan to hold referendum

Beijing, June 13: China, which claims Taiwan as its territory, slammed Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian today for pushing plans to hold a referendum on how to apply to join the United Nations as a separate identity.

Beijing has asserted sovereignty over Taiwan since winning the Chinese civil war in 1949 and has vowed to bring it back under mainland rule, by force if necessary. Beijing took over China's seat in the United Nations from Taipei in 1971.

Taiwan has failed in a succession of attempts to rejoin UN organisations under its official name, the ''Republic of China''.

Beijing's UN allies far outnumber those of Taipei, which is now recognised by just 24 countries around the world.

The island's ruling Democratic Progressive Party has sent election authorities a draft referendum asking voters whether the government should apply for UN membership simply as ''Taiwan''.

''The purpose of the move is to provoke disputes between the two sides ... so that Chen Shui-bian can lure votes from Taiwan people and reach de jure independence,'' Yang Yi, spokesman for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, told a news conference.

''If the situation continues, it will severely impact cross-Strait relations, harm people's interests and affect peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and Asia-Pacific region.'' Under the ''One China'' policy, Beijing insists that nations cannot have official relations with both China and Taiwan.

Taiwan Foreign Ministry spokesman David Wang said he did not know why China had slammed the UN application but said that ''inaction'' was not an option.

''Taiwan cannot just do nothing to survive,'' Wang said. ''We used the 'Republic of China' name in the past, and it did not go through.'' China's Yang said Beijing had ''great determination to maintain the integrity of our territory, and we have the necessary preparation to contain any activities concerning Taiwan independence''.

He did not specify whether preparations included warfare.

''The mainland will never allow anyone using any methods to separate Taiwan from China,'' he said.

Reuters>