Posted on 03/12/2005 11:40:08 PM PST by nickcarraway
Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian has called for a million people to take to the streets of Taipei later this month to protest against China's anti-secession Bill, which allows for the use of force against the island.
It was his first open response to the proposed law, which he described as 'a major threat to regional stability'.
His call, coming before the expected passage of the law in Beijing tomorrow, could raise tensions across the Taiwan Strait.
'Let us mobilise one million people, never mind their gender, age, political affiliation and occupation, to take part in the march on March 26' to protest against China's move and to protect the democracy and freedom of Taiwan, said Mr Chen Saturday.
The Bill would allow the 2.5-million-strong People's Liberation Army to thwart any independence bid by Taiwan. Taiwan says it would give China a 'blank cheque' to attack the island any time and for any reason.
However, China has insisted that the law is 'peaceful' in nature and that it will resort to using its military only if all peaceful attempts at reunification with Taiwan fail.
The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) led by Mr Chen said earlier that it would get 500,000 Taiwanese to march in protest on March 26, but the President had personally avoided provoking China.
His rallying cry came at a provisional session of the DPP Congress. He told the gathering that China's anti-secession law is unacceptable simply because it treats Taiwan as a part of China and gives it no right to declare formal independence although the two sides have been politically separated since 1949.
'It enables China to unilaterally decide Taiwan's future and ignore our right to decide our future,' said Mr Chen.
Local analysts said strong opposition to the law from the international community had made it easier for Mr Chen to raise his voice against China.
'Mr Chen had been cautious in his response to the Bill since its proposal in December by China. He only raised his voice after making sure that the United States is against it,' said cross-strait watcher George Tsai.
Washington, branding the proposed law 'unhelpful' and saying it runs counter to recent trends towards a warming in cross-strait ties, last week called on Beijing to reconsider passage of the law.
Mr Chen pointed to the threat posed by the 706 missiles China has aimed at Taiwan, which he said increase by 120 every year, as one reason for his call for a mass protest.
He said the arms buildup would tilt the military balance in China's favour, moving the US and Japan closer in their joint security agreement. The US and Japan have declared peaceful resolution of the Taiwan issue as a 'common strategic objective'.
But opposition politicians in Taiwan criticised Mr Chen for trying to stir up 'nationalism' at this sensitive time.
'It will only intensify the cross-strait confrontation,' said Mr Chang Yung-kung, spokesman for the main opposition party, Kuomintang.
Chinese official Chen Yunlin, who heads the Taiwan Affairs Office, slammed DPP as 'vicious' for planning a mass rally.
The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, an advisory body, endorsed the law at the end of its 10-day annual meeting Saturday.
I fully support Taiwan and the FREE Chinese nation!
BTTT
BUMP
Plot thickens.
Nah, they should wait just before the olympics comes to china
" Nah, they should wait just before the olympics comes to china"
I believe that's the PLAn.
Are you kidding? They could nuke Taiwan off the face of the earth and the Olympic committee wouldn't care.
Taiwan should help itself in the reunification issue by halting its' HUGE investment in the mainland. Hard to send our forces to defend them from something they have been paying to have done to them.
Taiwan is currently the largest investor in China.
"Taiwan should help itself in the reunification issue by halting its' HUGE investment in the mainland. Hard to send our forces to defend them from something they have been paying to have done to them.
Taiwan is currently the largest investor in China."
And I wonder at what point "Investment" becomes "Tribute."
A couple of things happen before wars: political rallies and the severing of economic ties. Certainly they are pouring so much capital into PRC presently, cutting the pig off from the nipple would be just as provokative as a political rally and doing both right now might be an effective declaration of war.
On the other hand I'm sure that at least some of the trade has allowed ROC to do some low-level spying on the dragon.
But to say we cannot defend Taiwan because it has traded with PRC of course means that we could not defend ourselves against Japan in WWII because we traded with the country till we imposed sanctions just before war broke out :p
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