'At any
cost':
China
warns US Navy over Taiwan
China
taking over the country of (Taiwan), is like Iraq taking over Kuwait in the
1990’s!
So,
What's
next,
Japan, Russia, North Korea, South Korea,
Beijing
(AFP)
A
senior Chinese military official warned the US Navy Tuesday against any
"interference" in support of Taiwan's independence, saying that
Beijing would defend its claim to the island "at any cost".
General
Li Zuocheng, a member of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks
during a meeting in Beijing with Admiral John Richardson, the chief of US naval
operations.
China
sees Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunified, despite the two sides
being ruled separately since they split in 1949 after a civil war won by Mao
Zedong's communists.
The
self-ruled island has its own currency, flag and government, but is not
recognised as an independent state by the UN.
Beijing
has said it will not hesitate to use force if Taipei formally declares
independence, or in the case of external intervention -- including by the
United States, the island's most powerful unofficial ally.
"The
Taiwan issue is an internal matter of China, concerns China's fundamental
interests and the national feelings of the Chinese people, and no outside
interference will be tolerated," Li Zuocheng said in a statement released
by the Ministry of Defence.
"If
anyone wants to separate Taiwan from China, the Chinese army will defend the
unity of the motherland at any cost," he told the the US Navy chief.
In
recent months, US Navy ships have repeatedly passed through the Taiwan Strait,
which separates mainland China from the island.
Beijing
views any ships passing through the straits as essentially a breach of its
sovereignty -- while the US and many other nations view the route as
international waters open to all.
A
recent US law encouraging mutual visits between US and Taiwanese officials has
also angered Beijing.
Washington,
which broke diplomatic relations with Taipei in 1979 to recognise Beijing
remains the island's most powerful ally, and its main arms supplier.