China criticized the demand of referendum made on August 3 by Chen
Shui-bian, leader of the
Taiwan
authority, as a serious incident to split China.
This is exactly the same as the state-to-state statement
masterminded by his predecessor Lee Teng-hui and laid bare Chen's
position to cling to "Taiwan Independence", said a spokesman of the
Taiwan Work Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party
of China (CPC) and of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State
Council.
Chen called for a referendum on Taiwan's future and destiny on an
appropriate occasion and preached that "Each side is a country" and
that Taiwan would "walk down its own road" in a speech with an
overseas Taiwanese association in Tokyo on Saturday.
Chen's speech is an outward defiance to all Chinese people
including the Taiwan compatriots and a defiance to the
internationally acknowledged "one China" principle. It will
seriously sabotage the relations between both sides of the Taiwan
Straits and affect stability and peace in the Asia-Pacific region,
the spokesman said.
Chen's statement of "Each side is a country" proved that his
commitment of not seeking Taiwan independence, not changing the
name of Taiwan, not enlisting the theory of two countries into the
constitute and not holding referendum in his inauguration speech
was merely an expedient measure aimed at deceiving the people in
Taiwan and the world opinion, the spokesman said.
The majority of people in Taiwan are in favor of peace,
development, stability and improvement of relations between the two
sides of the Taiwan Straits. Chen imposed the attempt of Taiwan
independence held by a handful of people on the broad masses of
Taiwan compatriots. It will affect the economy of Taiwan, harm the
fundamental interests of Taiwan residents and bring Taiwan into
disaster, he said.
The spokesman reiterated that there is only one China in the world.
Both the mainland and Taiwan are part of China. The sovereignty and
territorial integrity of China can't be separated.
China's consistent policy is to oppose Taiwan independence and
materialize the goal of China's reunification. Nobody is allowed to
separate Taiwan from China in any form, he said.
The spokesman warned the splittist forces in Taiwan not to misjudge
the situation and stop all splittist activities.
(Xinhua News
Agency August 6, 2002)