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China blames US for tensions with Taiwan

BEIJING: Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan said on Friday the United States was responsible for tensions between Beijing and Taiwan and that Sino-U.S. relations were at a "critical juncture".

"What the United States has done on the question of Taiwan has inflated the arrogance of the separatist forces in Taiwan," Tang told a news conference in reference to U.S. weapons sales to Taipei.

"Therefore, the United States bears unshakeable responsibility for the tension in the Taiwan Strait."

China regards Taiwan, a wealthy and democratic island which holds a presidential election on March 18, as a rebel province.

"Both Sino-U.S. relations and cross-strait relations are at a critical juncture," Tang said.

"The United States has increased its weapons sales to Taiwan both in quantitative and qualitative terms," he said, adding that China's ambassador to Washington had made a formal diplomatic protest on the issue in the last 24 hours.

"What the U.S. says and does on the question of Taiwan would have a direct bearing on the future direction of the Sino-U.S. relationship," Tang said.

"It will also directly bear on peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and also in the Asia-Pacific region."

On February 21, China's cabinet issued a policy "white paper" saying the People's Liberation Army (PLA) would invade Taiwan if the island dragged its feet indefinitely on reunification talks.

That was perceived widely as adding a third "if" to previous threats to invade if Taiwan declared independence or if it were threatened by a foreign power.

But Tang said on Friday there was nothing new in the third "if". He said it was first formulated by late leader Deng Xiaoping.

Nevertheless, U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright reacted to the white paper by saying that any Chinese military move against Taiwan would be of the "gravest concern" to Washington.

Ahead of Taiwan first democratic presidential election, in 1996, the PLA conducted war games in the Taiwan Strait that included firing missiles into the sea just off the island's coast.

The games were widely perceived as a warning to pro-independence candidates and voters. Washington responded by sending two aircraft carrier battle groups to the area.

Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui went on to outrage Beijing last year by demanding it treat Taipei as a political equal.

Beijing, which views Taiwan as a rebel province which must be reunited with the motherland, saw that as a step down the road to independence. Taiwan says it would reunify with China only when Beijing embraces western-style democracy.

China's relations with Washington have only just started recovering from NATO's bombing of Beijing's embassy in Belgrade last May during the U.S.-led bombing campaign over Kosovo.

But the Chinese government still grasps every opportunity to lambast Washington over any arms sales to Taiwan and over possible U.S. plans for a Theatre Missile Defence system in Asia.

Washington says the idea is to protect American troops stationed in Japan and South Korea from missile attacks from "rogue states" like North Korea.

China fears such a system could be extended to cover Taiwan and says Washington greatly exaggerates the North Korean threat.-Reuters