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China sends heavy message before Jiang meets Bush

The US should stop sending "wrong signals" to independence activists in Taiwan, China has warned ahead of a summit between Chinese President Jiang Zemin (江澤民) and US President George W. Bush in Texas this week.

Washington should be "fully aware" of the danger posed by moves towards independence for Taiwan, the official Xinhua news agency quoted China's ambassador to the US, Yang Jiechi (楊潔箎), as saying late Sunday.

The warning is a signal of Beijing's wariness over what is traditionally the most divisive of Sino-US issues, despite generally improved relations in recent months.

Jiang leaves for the US today and is scheduled to meet Bush at the US leader's ranch in Crawford, Texas, on Friday, their third face-to-face talks in just 12 months.

Ambassador Yang was bullish overall about relations, saying Jiang's visit would be "a significant and far-reaching event" for mutual ties and "a complete success."

However, he warned that "the core and sensitive issue" of Taiwan remained vital.

China insists that Taiwan is an integral part of its territory, despite more than half a century of effective self-rule for the island since Nationalist forces fled there at the end of China's civil war.

Beijing has long threatened military action against Taiwan should it declare formal independence, while Washington remains Taipei's leading supplier of military equipment.

The activities of those seeking independence for Taiwan are "doomed to bear catastrophic consequences," Yang said.

"It is hoped that the US side could play a constructive role in the realization of the peaceful reunification of China by being fully aware of the harm and danger posed by `Taiwan independence' elements and stop sending any more wrong signals to them," he said.

China is regularly infuriated by unofficial US contacts with Taiwan, which have increased under the Bush administration.
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