Beijing warns Taipei investors
SENIOR mainland negotiators have warned Taiwan businessmen of the perils of going down the independence road.
Wang Daohan, president of the semi-official Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS), told Taiwanese businessmen in Sichuan and Hubei provinces that the Taipei leaders had to stop trying to create 'two Chinas' or 'one China and one Taiwan'.
'We stand for peaceful reunification.
'But we will never permit some people in Taiwan to engage in splittism by taking advantage of peace,' Mr Wang warned.
He said it was just a fantasy to think that the mainland would sit idle on damage done to Chinese territorial integrity, Chinese media reported yesterday.
'We will not commit ourselves to give up the use of force,' Mr Wang told the investors during his recent tour to the two provinces.
But he assured the businessmen that such a policy was not directed at Taiwan compatriots.
Instead, it was targeted at the separatist forces in Taiwan and foreign interference on the issue of national unification, he said.
Meanwhile, ARATS executive vice-chairman Tang Shubei confirmed that the recent military exercises by the People's Liberation Army should serve as a warning to the separatists. 'We believe that it takes time to solve the Taiwan issue and to realise unification.
'But we resolutely oppose Lee Teng-hui watching for his chance to create 'two Chinas' or 'one China, one Taiwan' internationally,' Mr Tang said.
Both negotiators blamed the Taiwan President for causing tensions across the strait with his visit to the United States and policies designed to boost the island's international status.
But Mr Wang assured Taiwanese businessmen they would always be welcome to invest on the mainland despite the strained ties.
Their legal rights and interests would also continue to be protected, he said.
'Although political relations across the Taiwan Strait are strained, economic and trade co-operation, cultural exchanges and personnel exchanges are still developing,' he said.
He hoped the active civilian exchanges would help push for the realisation of an early summit between high-ranking officials, bringing forth a new stage in cross-strait relations.
Reacting to legal problems and infrastructure difficulties faced by Taiwanese investors, Mr Wang said the Chinese Government was making efforts to solve them.
Comprehensive regulations on the protection of their rights and interests were being enacted, he said.
