Jiang Zemin says unification is a `historical trend'

Chinese President Jiang Zemin (江澤民), marking his place in China's history, vowed yesterday to build a strong and modern Communist Party (CCP) capable of leading the country into the 21st century.

In a speech on the 80th anniversary of the founding of the CCP, Jiang expounded a broad agenda for building a "democratic dictatorship" more responsive to the modern needs of a population in full throes of market economic reforms.

The president and party boss reiterated also Beijing's vow to use force if necessary to bring Taiwan back into the fold of the "motherland" and, in an implicit jab at the US, vowed to fight "global hegemonism and power politics."

"The complete reunification of the motherland is a mission for all CCP members and ... a historical trend that cannot be blocked by any force," he said.

While praising Mao Zedong (毛澤東) for unifying China and establishing the People's Republic in 1949 and late leader Deng Xiaoping (鄧小平) for starting China's economic reform program, Jiang offered his own blueprint for making China a "modern and prosperous" country during this century.

In the 90-minute speech, Jiang, dressed in a dark Western suit with a red tie, said the "great historical tasks" facing the party would be to continue the nation's economic development and modernization, unify the country and maintain global peace.

Hours after the speech, state-run media reported that Jiang had vowed to lead the People's Liberation Army (PLA) into war if Taiwan formally declared independence.

"If Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) has the audacity to go in for Taiwan independence, then I will lead you to liberate Taiwan," Jiang was quoted on the official Qianlong Web site as telling some 100 PLA generals sometime in the last month.

Jiang's "recent" remarks -- some of his most direct on the use of military force to invade Taiwan -- were made to generals participating in ongoing joint war exercises off the coast of the southeastern province of Fujian and across the strait from Taiwan. The drills started June 1 and were scheduled to last two months.

The Chinese president "made it clear to the generals that the military exercises were to show the entire nation and the entire world that if Chen Shui-bian dared to go in for Taiwan independence, then China would pay any price to protect national sovereignty and territorial integrity," it said.

"Chen Shui-bian should harbor no illusions ... on the state of cross-strait relations during the rule of his Democratic Progressive Party and he should harbor no illusions on the new US administration's capacity to interfere in China's affairs," Jiang said.

Jiang further blasted recent overtures between Chen and former Taiwan president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) as a "plot toward Taiwan independence."

Lee stepped down as president of the country last year after two terms in office, opening the way for Chen's presidential election victory and the end of 50 years of KMT rule of Taiwan.

Last week, Beijing blasted the US for helping Taiwan to test-fire a US-made Patriot anti-missile system on June 21, and demanded an end to all US arms sales to the country.

The Qianlong Web site, which is run by the Beijing Daily and other official newspapers, called the ongoing mainland military exercises, involving over 100,000 soldiers, the "biggest military exercises aimed at Taiwan since the establishment of the People's Republic."