Beijing on Friday accused Taipei of resisting reunification with a
military build-up and urged Washington to immediately stop arms sales to the
island province.
Li Weiyi, spokesman with the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said
Taiwan's attempt to count on military confrontation to pursue formal
independence is sabotaging cross-Straits peace and stability.
He made the remarks as a Taiwan delegation led by "parliament speaker" Wang
Jin-pyng is in the US to determine the fate of a huge arms deal.
The group is expected to meet Pentagon officials and discuss a 610 billion
Taiwan dollars (US$18.2 billion) weapons package that includes anti-missile
systems, submarines and anti-submarine aircraft.
Li told a regular news conference in Beijing that the military build-up will
only end up undermining the island's economic development as well as the
fundamental interests of Taiwan compatriots.
The spokesman urged Washington to stick to the one-China policy and honour
its commitment in the three Sino-US communiques.
"We have always been opposed to any official contact and military
co-operation between Taiwan and the United States," he said.
"And we hope the US side can pay heed to our calls to avoid any damage to
Sino-US relations."
As Taiwan's biggest arms supplier, the United States has urged the island to
beef up its defence against the mainland, citing Beijing's growing military
power.
A US Defence Department report recently even proposed the island consider
development of a missile that could strike civilian targets on the mainland.
Those targets could include the massive Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest
hydroelectric project on the Yangtze River in Central China, or the
468-metre-high Oriental Pearl TV tower in Shanghai.
At the news briefing, Li also reiterated the mainland's long-standing policy
of encouraging economic and cultural exchanges across the Straits.
He stressed that Beijing has not altered its polices encouraging Taiwan
business people to invest in the mainland and promoting cultural exchanges and
co-operation between the two sides.
"But we don't welcome a small number of people who openly support 'Taiwan
independence' while reaping economic benefits on the mainland, whether they are
from the economic or cultural circle," he told reporters.
His comments came amid growing anger among the mainland people over a handful
of pro-independence business investors and artists from Taiwan.
On May 31, the overseas edition of People's Daily ran a front-page commentary
sharply criticizing Hsu Wen-lung, founder of Taiwan's Chi Mei Group, for
supporting pro-independence politicians including Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian.
On June 12, Taiwan pop diva Chang Hui-mei cancelled a planned performance in
Hangzhou, capital city of East China's Zhejiang Province, because of criticism
and protests by some netizens.
Chang, who sang Taiwan's 'national anthem' at the inauguration of Chen four
years ago, has expressed her understanding of the feelings of the mainland
netizens.
Su Chi, former chairman of Taiwan's 'mainland affairs council,' said such
incidents should not be politicized because people-to-people exchanges have
greatly benefited the development of cross-Straits ties.
"Close economic and cultural exchanges across the Straits once provided a
basis for improving the relations between the mainland and Taiwan in the 1980s
and 1990s," he told China Daily in an interview in Fuzhou.
