Agence France Presse

Beijing, March 6:

China warned the United States and Japan against including Taiwan in their military pact today, while also seeking to calm fears that lifting of an EU arms embargo would lead to an attack against the island. Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing said Beijing sought better ties with both Washington and Tokyo but he warned increasing US-Japan military cooperation should be strictly bilateral and not encompass Taiwan. “Any part of putting Taiwan directly or indirectly into the scope of Japan-US security cooperation constitutes an encroachment on China’s sovereignty and interference in herinternal affairs. “The Chinese government and people are firmly against such activities.” During a conference on the sidelines of National People’s Congress, Li characterised the military alliance between Japan and the US as a “bilateral arrangement” that came about during the Cold War. Any expansion of such a relationship, Li warned, could cause problems in the region.

“If it goes beyond the bilateral scope, definitely it would arouse uneasiness on the part of Asian countries and bring about complicated factors to the regional security situation.”

Beijing has been wary of Washington and Tokyo’s close strategic partnership, seeing it as a potential obstacle to its goal of eventually reunifying with Taiwan, by force if necessary.

In a joint statement last month, Washington and Tokyo said easing tensions in the Taiwan Strait was part of their “common strategic objectives” and urged China, which has 600 missiles amassed opposite the island, “to improve transparency of its military affairs.” This angered Beijing, which slammed the allies’ move as “inappropriate.”

While asserting Taiwan issue was the “most sensitive” and core obstacle facing Sino-US ties, Li nonetheless sought to dispel fears China was planning to attack it. “We have always stood for the peaceful resolution of the Taiwan issue.” He reiterated China’s call for the lifting the EU’s 15-year weapons embargo, saying it amounted to “political discrimination. “China is committed to peaceful development. We do not have the need to buy a lot of advanced weapons from the EU,” Li said. The bloc is poised to lift the embargo as early as June.

Thousands rally in Taiwan

KAOHSIUNG: Thousands of Taiwanese rallied on Sunday to protest against China’s bid to enact a law aimed at preventing the island declaring formal independence. The crowds organised by the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) held banners and chanted slogans in Kaohsiung - “Opposing annexation, safeguarding Taiwan”. The TSU threatened to enact an “anti-annexation” law if China ignored demands to drop its planned “anti-secession” law.

In Taipei, a gathering by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) drew at least 1,000 protestors. “Taiwan is an independent sovereign state. Taiwan and China are two separate countries,” DPP secretary general Lee Yi-yang said. “Now China wants to apply its domestic anti-annexation law to another country,” Lee said. “... We people in Taiwan have only one option. That is we must stand united and throw our weight behind President Chen Shui-bian.” — AFP