- UNITED NATIONS (Reuters)
- China vowed before the U.N. General Assembly on Friday that it would
never allow Taiwan to become independent, which it said could undermine
peace and stability in the Asia Pacific region.
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- "We will resolutely combat any act that would contribute
to the independence of Taiwan. We will never permit anyone to separate
Taiwan from China," said Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan of China, which
has viewed Taiwan as a wayward province since their split in 1949.
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- "All acts aimed at the independence of Taiwan are
doomed to fail. The great work of China's reunification will surely be
accomplished," Tang told the 190-nation world body at the start of
its 57th session.
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- He also called on the 15-nation U.N. Security Council
to ensure that Iraq comply with its resolutions demanding the return of
U.N. weapons inspectors and destruction of its chemical, biological and
nuclear weapons.
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- But he signaled Beijing would not sign onto any threat
of force against Baghdad if it failed to implement the relevant resolutions.
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- "We believe the problem of Iraq must be resolved
through political means," he said.
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- China would be expected to abstain if a resolution calling
for the use of force were to come to a vote in the 15-nation council, where
it enjoys veto power.
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- Tang said the majority of Taiwan's more than 23 million
people favored peace, stability and strong ties across the Taiwan Strait
while Taiwan's leaders supported a "separatist plot" backed by
a small minority.
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- "There is only one China in the world," he
said. "To achieve our country's reunification is our firm and unwavering
goal."
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- Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian infuriated Beijing in
August by saying there were two countries on either side of the Taiwan
Strait and a referendum on the island's formal independence was a basic
human right.
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- China and its supporters blocked for the 10th consecutive
year this week a bid by Taiwan to gain membership in the United Nations,
keeping the matter off the agenda of the current General Assembly session,
which opened on Tuesday.
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- Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist government lost a civil
war to the Chinese Communists and fled to Taiwan in 1949, but held onto
China's U.N. seat until 1971, when the General Assembly expelled it and
gave the seat to Beijing.
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