The US has hit out at Beijing for its latest threats to use force against Taiwan if unification talks do not go forward, saying they are "counterproductive" and impede the chance of new dialogue.
Beijing issued the threats in a new white paper on its military policy released on Monday, in which it described the Taiwan Strait situation as "complicated and grim."
"The new leaders of the Taiwan authorities have adopted an evasive and obscure attitude to the `one China' principle," the document said.
It charged that "separative forces in Taiwan" have "seriously undermined the preconditions and foundation for peaceful unification," and claimed the "root cause" of the problem is the continued American sale of advanced weapons to Taiwan along with other US interference in Taiwan affairs.
The US State Department sharply criticized the tone and content of the document.
"As we have told the Chinese at senior levels, comments that focus on possible use of force are counterproductive to the peaceful resolution of differences," a State Department spokesman said.
"We reject the use of force or the threat of the use of force to resolve the Taiwan question," the spokesman said.
"We urge the PRC as well as Taiwan to refrain from actions or statements that increase tensions or make dialogue more difficult to achieve," he said, adding that the US urged both sides to take steps to foster dialogue, reduce tensions and promote mutual understanding.
The spokesman stressed that the US reaction was an "initial" one, and that the Clinton administration will be studying the 35,000-character document more closely in coming days to look for any new nuances or policy hints before possibly responding more fully.
He also hinted that Washington might bring up the document in future talks with Chinese officials, including the summit meeting between President Clinton and President Jiang Zemin (
Washington-based China scholars were also studying the document on Monday.
On the surface, there was "nothing new" in the latest policy formulation, said Douglas H. Paal, the president of the Asia Pacific Policy Center.
He noted, however, that the latest statements were more detailed than the "vague" statements China made earlier in the year in its another white paper on cross-strait relations.
He said he was "disappointed" that Beijing felt it necessary to repeat the three conditions for possible military action it had already enunciated earlier in the year.
He also said he felt the threats were part of China's "united front diplomacy," adopted to try to isolate President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) through a combination of threats and efforts to cultivate the friendship of other politicians and political forces in the country.
RSS