Taipei mocks Beijing's `peacemaking' and warns of destruction in the region

The Mainland Affairs Council, the nation's top cross-strait policymaking body, was skeptical yesterday over Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's vow to resolve cross-strait differences peacefully, pointing to the acceleration in military spending.

"On the one hand, Wen [Jiabao] claims to seek peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, but at the same time he resolutely calls for increased military capabilities as a guarantor of unification,"the council said in a statement.

"This clearly reflects [that China] is unwilling to forgo the use of military force against Taiwan," the statement read.

The council said that according to even publicly available figures, China's military spending is slated to increase by 12.6 percent in the coming year, bringing its total budget to US$30 billion.

"In the past, the fast growth of China's military budget and capabilities was in preparation for action against Taiwan and increasing international influence," the statement said. "This trend will become even more apparent after China passes the `anti-secession law.'"

"If China insists on resolving the cross-strait situation by passing this anti-secession law, then regional peace and stability will be destroyed," the statement said.

It added that the results would be the exact opposite of the peace that Wen said China would protect.