The Chinese mainland yesterday warned Taiwan leader
Chen Shui-bian of serious consequences for his reckless push for
"independence" and condemned him as a "schemer" and "national
traitor".
"If Chen Shui-bian obstinately and recklessly makes dangerous
moves regardless of warnings and denouncements of the international
community, he must shoulder 'all serious consequences' arising from
this," said Li Weiyi, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of
the State Council.
Li told a regular press conference that Chen is "an out-and-out
schemer" and "a destroyer" who will not hesitate to ruin peace and
stability across the Taiwan Straits and in the Asia-Pacific
region.
His criticism came in response to Taipei's intensified push for
UN membership.
Chen sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in July,
seeking to join the United Nations under the name of Taiwan, which
was refused. His second letter to Sheikha Haya Rashed Al-Khalifa,
president of the 61st United Nations General Assembly, was also
returned on Monday.
Meanwhile, Chen has been pushing for a plan to hold a
"referendum" in Taiwan on its proposed entry to the UN.
Li said Chen "blatantly launched provocations to seek 'Taiwan
independence' prior to the island's 'presidential election' next
year to seek personal gains for himself and his own party, but
totally regardless of the interests of 23 million Taiwan
compatriots".
"There is only one China in the world and both Taiwan and the
Chinese mainland belong to one China. The sovereignty and
territorial integrity of China brook no separation," Li said.
This fact cannot be altered no matter what "independence"
speeches Chen trumpets, he said.
Li called Chen "a national traitor who plots to split the
country", and said "he cannot escape the punishment of
history".
On discussions over the route of the 2008 Olympic torch relay
through the island, Li denied reports that the mainland has added a
new condition.
"As far as I know, the Organizing Committee for the Beijing
Olympic Games (BOCOG) has not added any new condition regarding the
Olympic torch relay passing through Taiwan," he told the
reporters.
Some Taiwan media reported that the mainland had added a new
condition during negotiations - that the flag of the Taiwan
authority should not be displayed while the torch is present on the
island.
"The International Olympic Committee has clear rules on how to
deal with the flag issue at the Games. Anyone can take it for
granted that the torch relay through Taiwan should also follow
these rules," Li said.
The issue was included in the consensus reached between BOCOG
and the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee (CTOC) in February this
year, he said.
"We still hope the Taiwan authorities take into account the true
expectations of the people that the Olympic torch be carried across
the Taiwan Straits and stop creating barriers driven by politics,"
Li said.
He urged the Taiwan authorities to adopt the consensus reached
in February.
"BOCOG and CTOC will continue talks on the torch relay," he
said.
(Xinhua News Agency September 13, 2007)