Other observers noted that Qian did not stray from the basic Beijing demand that Taiwan accept the "one China" principle as a precondition for any cross-strait talks, but others noted a lack of the bellicosity of previous Chinese comments on relations with Taiwan.
"It's a far cry from the White Paper," noted Sutter, referring to the threat Beijing issued on the eve of the March 2000 Taiwan presidential election, which warned of war if Taipei delayed the resumption of cross-strait talks indefinitely.
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