China said it wants peaceful reunification with Taiwan, but wouldn't rule out the use of force, which it said is targeted at Taiwanese separatists.
Premier Wen Jiabao (溫家寶), on an official visit to Canada, on Thursday said China "will exert our utmost efforts to realize the peaceful reunification of the motherland."
"The reason why we do not undertake to renounce the use of force is by no means targeted at our compatriots, rather it targets those separatist forces on Taiwan," Wen said at a joint news conference with his Canadian counterpart, Jean Chretien.
But Wen added that, "as long as the slightest hope exists, we will never give up the efforts of peace."
In an interview with CNN yesterday, Wen accused President Chen Shui-bian (
Referring to the Taiwanese people as "our blood brothers and sisters," Wen said that Chen was using talk of democracy to disguise a push for independence, which threatens the status quo between Taipei and Beijing.
"We respect the desire of the Taiwan people to develop and pursue democracy," Wen said.
"However, we firmly oppose the attempts by certain separatist forces in Taiwan to pursue Taiwan independence under the disguise of promoting democracy in an attempt to cut off Taiwan from the mainland.
"The purpose of the so-called defensive referendum that Chen Shui-bian has been going after is to undermine the status quo ... In fact, democracy is just a disguise, an excuse."
Wen stressed in the interview that Beijing would pursue "peaceful reunification" under its "one country, two systems" policy as long as it could.
After the talks with Wen, Chretien reaffirmed his country's support for the "one China" policy.
At a joint press conference after a private meeting, Chretien said: "We are for a `one China' policy. We hope there will soon be a negotiated settlement, like the one for Hong Kong."
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