China media makes war threat over U.S. Taiwan bill

[webfact]

China media makes war threat over U.S. Taiwan bill

 

FILE PHOTO - A demonstrator holds flags of Taiwan and the United States in support of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen during an stop-over after her visit to Latin America in Burlingame, California, U.S., January 14, 2017. REUTERS/Stephen Lam

 

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese state media threatened on Friday that the country could go to war over Taiwan if the United States passes into law a bill promoting closer U.S. ties with the self-ruled island that China claims as its own.

 

The legislation, which only needs President Donald Trump's signature to become law, says it should be U.S. policy to allow officials at all levels to travel to Taiwan to meet their Taiwanese counterparts, permit high-level Taiwanese officials to enter the United States "under respectful conditions" and meet with U.S. officials.

 

Beijing considers democratic Taiwan to be a wayward province and integral part of "one China", ineligible for state-to-state relations, and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control.

 

In a strongly-worded editorial, the official China Daily said if the bill becomes law it will only encourage Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen to further assert the island's sovereignty.

 

"Which, if she persisted, would lead to the inevitable consequence of triggering the Anti-Secession Law that allows Beijing to use force to prevent the island from seceding," the paper said, referring to a Chinese law passed in 2005.

 

"Since the U.S. is bound by domestic law to act on behalf of the island in that instance, it would only give substance to the observation that the descent into hell is easy."

 

China's hostility towards Taiwan has risen since the election to president of Tsai from the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party in 2016.

 

China suspects Tsai wants to push for formal independence, a red line for Communist Party leaders in Beijing, though she has said she wants to maintain the status quo and is committed to ensuring peace.

 

Taiwan has welcomed the U.S. legislation.

 

In a second editorial, the widely-read state-run Global Times tabloid said China could "make targeted measures against pro-independence forces in Taiwan".

 

"Militarily, the strength of the People's Liberation Army has fundamentally changed the military and political situation across the Straits," it said, talking about the narrow waterway that separates Taiwan from its giant neighbour.

 

"Thanks to its rapid growth, the Chinese mainland is now granted unparalleled strategic initiative across the Taiwan Straits."

 

China has dramatically upped its military presence around Taiwan. China's air force has carried out 16 rounds of exercises close to Taiwan in the last year or so, said Taiwan's defence ministry in late December, warning that China's military threat was growing by the day.

 

The United States has no formal ties with Taiwan but is bound by law to help it defend itself and is the island's main source of arms. China regularly says Taiwan is the most sensitive issue in its ties with Washington.

 

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Michael Perry)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-03-02

[Get Real]

Maybe China should stop claim to thing they neither rule, own nor control.

[meechai]

17 minutes ago, webfact said:

Chinese state media threatened on Friday that the country could go to war over Taiwan if the United States passes into law a bill promoting closer U.S. ties with the self-ruled island that China claims as its own.

Go to war with who? Taiwan or USA?

[lannarebirth]

8 minutes ago, Get Real said:

Maybe China should stop claim to thing they neither rule, own nor control.

Taiwan is the biggest piece of the puzzle for China as far as their "projection of power" goes. It gives them greater standing to claim the SCS as their own. I believe they would go to war over it, but would we?

[daoyai]

I think the U.S. has a defence pact with Taiwan... that is the only reason the reds have not yet invaded. If the commies invaded and the U.S. did not intercede other allies would question their commitment.  

[Morch]

3 hours ago, daoyai said:

I think the U.S. has a defence pact with Taiwan... that is the only reason the reds have not yet invaded. If the commies invaded and the U.S. did not intercede other allies would question their commitment.  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwan_Relations_Act#Military_provisions

 

and also this:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Assurances

 

[ExpatOilWorker]

With 40 million more men than women due to the one child policy, a fast growing military and VERY strong national feelings, extreme centralized government and a slowing economy, China is fast in the process of setting themselves up for war. 

Peace beyond 2035 is hard to imagine.

[Knee Jerk Reaction]

5 hours ago, meechai said:

Go to war with who? Taiwan or USA?

Since the cessation of hostilities in the Chinese civil war, technically the communists are still at war with the ROC (Taiwan) as no peace treaty was ever signed.

[BarnicaleBob]

China has been taking it's time and has a long term plan to take back Taiwan.  Step one was to build a strong navy, which in now complete.

Step two was to expand build man made islands in the South China Sea, now complete.

Step three was was to build airbases on those new islands so that China's air power can be expanded to cover all of the South China Sea.  Giving it what it needed to out gun U.S. aircraft carriers as well as other US naval and air forces in the area.  Now nearly complete.

Step four is to deny access to the South China Sea to US and ailed naval and air forces.  This is a work in progress. 

Step five is when steps one through four have been soundly completed and that will lead to the invasion of Taiwan.  Which has yet to happen. 

China has no problem in taking their time to achieve the end goal of unifying by force with Taiwan.  One step at a time, little by little they move closer to their goal.

[simoh1490]

There's no way China will let Taiwan not be part of China, no matter what Trump may say. And if the UK would go to war over the Falklands, China would certainly go to war over Taiwan.

[ResandePohm]

8 hours ago, Get Real said:

Maybe China should stop claim to thing they neither rule, own nor control.

Well maybe they will do the same as they did to Tibet. Take it back by force while the world watches on. China is in expansion mode as seen by their taking over the South China Sea. I wouldn't be at all surprised if they did..