'Duplicitous' US blamed for impasse on Taiwan
A former Chinese ambassador to the United States yesterday called on Washington to abandon its 'politics of duplicity' on cross-strait relations.
Li Daoyu, who served as China's top envoy to Washington between 1993 and 1998, told a conference in Hong Kong that the US should shoulder responsibility for the absence of a solution to the Taiwan question.
'The US has been constantly practising politics of duplicity on the Taiwan issue after normalising relations with China,' Mr Li said.
The seminar was held to mark 55 years of Chinese diplomacy on the global stage. It was followed by a photo exhibition on the same topic.
Mr Li said the US had vowed to adhere to the one-China policy and oppose Taiwan's independence, but it also had sold arms to the island and supported its bid to join the World Health Organisation.
Taiwan's pro-independence forces had been receiving 'wrong and confused signals' which would push them further down 'the dangerous path of pursuing independence'.
'They think they've been granted a blank cheque from the US and can do whatever they want because the Americans will back them up,' Mr Li said.
Hinting that there would be no softening of Beijing's position on Taiwan under new military leader Hu Jintao , Mr Li said no Chinese leader would tolerate separatism.
'There's not going to be any peace if Taiwan wants to pursue independence,' he warned.
Mr Li urged Washington to take a realistic stance on Taiwan and seek more common ground with Beijing on issues such as anti-terrorism and bilateral trade.
'Sino-US relations will be smooth only if the US keeps a consistent Taiwan policy,' Mr Li said.
History had shown that Taiwan was the single most important issue in Sino-US relations, he said.
