Posted on 12/28/2004 7:05:49 PM PST by maui_hawaii
Crushing "the vicious rise" of Taiwan independence was put firmly at the core of a new national defence policy, the first prepared by President Hu Jintao since he became head of China's military.
The 85-page white paper outlined a list of security threats, including nuclear issues on the Korean peninsula and Japan's constitutional changes but its main thrust was on strained relations with Taiwan.
The document, the fifth on national defence since 1995, described Taiwan relations as "grim" and made clear any attempt at independence would be harshly dealt with.
"Should the Taiwan authorities go so far as to make a reckless attempt that constitutes a major incident of Taiwan independence the Chinese people and armed forces will resolutely and thoroughly crush it at any cost," it said.
"The Taiwan authorities under (President) Chen Shui-bian have recklessly challenged the status quo ... and markedly escalated the Taiwan independence activities designed to split China."
The document said it was the "sacred responsibility" of the Chinese army to stop Taiwan independence forces from splitting the country.
It accused Chen and his Democratic Progressive Party of inciting anti-China sentiment and also slammed the United States for selling arms to the island, which China considers part of its territory.
"(The United States) continues to increase, quantitatively and qualitatively, its arms sales to Taiwan, sending a wrong signal to the Taiwan authorities," it said.
"The US action does not serve a stable situation across the Taiwan Straits."
The policy paper came as China's legislature deliberated a proposed "anti-secession law" aimed at preventing Taiwan from declaring formal independence.
Beijing said hostilities could be ended if Taiwan, which China sees as part of its territory even though it broke with the mainland in 1949 after a civil war, accepted it was part of China and stopped its "separatist activities."
The document also stressed that China harboured no ambition to expand its territory and posed no threat to other countries.
"China will never go for expansion nor will it ever seek hegemony," it said.
The document reiterated an earlier plan to downsize the People's Liberation Army by 200,000 troops to 2.3 million by the end of 2005 in an effort to streamline the force's structure.
It said defence expenditure increased to 211.7 billion yuan (25.6 billion dollars) in 2004 from 170.8 billion yuan in 2002 and 190.8 billion yuan in 2003.
Meanwhile, the document reiterated China's policy of not supporting, encouraging or assisting other countries to develop weapons of mass destruction and its opposition to their proliferation.
"The importance and urgency of providing security assurances for non-nuclear-weapon states has become more prominent," it said. "China supports the negotiation and conclusion of an international legally binding instrument on this issue."
As well as Taiwan, the paper listed the impasse over North Korea's nuclear drive as a key major regional security worry.
"The foundation of the six-party talks is not solid enough as uncertain factors linger in the settlement of the nuclear issues on the Korean peninsula," it said of the stalled negotiations that also include the United States, Japan, South Korea and Russia.
It also sees Japan's proposed constitutional changes as a threat as they would allow the Japanese military to use force in international missions.
President Hu replaced retired Jiang Zemin as head of China's military in September.
Wonder when we get to trade Taiwan for NK ?
If China crushes Taiwan they will lose twice. The hefty Taiwanese business investments in China will be at risk, and China will get hammered militarily even if they win. China would also have a lot of trouble with international relations for a long time to come. This would be a bad move, and unnecessary.
I don't think its gonna happen.
The understatement of the year. If things go violently that is...
China's banking system is not in the best of shape. I'll leave it at that.
gotcha
You are easily amused.
series
True, but he also wanted to nuke China. :p
Oh and there was a WWII project to build a Tsunami bomb called "Project Seal". It was done in Australia but it looks like it never got finished before the war ended.
First of all let's see whether the US military gets enough of the F-22 & F-35.Then only the business of exports becomes logical.
"Those who failed to learn from History are doomed to repeat it"
Post 1950, all the wars that China fought, ie the Korean War, India-China Border war, Vietnam etc she fought from a position of weakness.
During the Japanese invasion 1938-1945, China was willing to sacrifige up to 30 millions lives to defend her national territorial integrity. She refused to accept a "Sweet" peace deal from Japan to end the war during the halfway stage. In spite of the Japanese offering some concessions. Her loyalty to the Allied cause is the reason the Pres Rosevelt gave China a permanent seat in the UN Security Council--- as a strong gesture of recognition of China's great sacrifige of millions of lives and casulties and of not surrendering or accepting Japanese compromise "sweet" peace -deal
Pres Rosevelt was grateful to China's resolve, a China-Japan peace treaty would free one million well-equipped "crack' Japanese troops to fight American boys in the Pacific theater
Now, who is now very keen to take on China ? on a key question of what she perceives (rightly or wrongly, who are we to judge) as her territorial integrity ? Is China willing to sacrifige another 30 million lives to defend her Principle"? -- that Taiwan is her territory?
How much casulties is one prepared to accept, when planning to take China on? How many 18 year-olds boys and girls must die to applease the super-inflated egos of some self-appointed demi-Gods? I myself has no answer
What fools we mortals be
Having said that,
to go to fight a tiger inside a tiger's liar is not an easy undertaking
especially when this tiger feels that it is defending its house
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