China’s President Warns Taiwan Against Moves Toward Independence
US Commander: China Seeking to Control East Asia
Reuters
Date: March 10, 2016
BEIJING—
Taiwan president-elect TsaiIng-wen must “prove” her Democratic Progressive
Party (DPP) is not pro-independence before Beijing will deal with her, a senior member of China’s largely rubber stamp parliament said on Thursday.
China considers self-ruled Taiwan a wayward province, to be brought under its control by force if necessary. Defeated Nationalist forces fled to Taiwan in 1949 after the Chinese civil war.
Beijing has repeatedly warned against any moves towards independence since January’s landslide win by Tsai and her DPP in presidential and parliamentary elections. Tsai assumes office in May.
While the DPP’s charter calls for the island’s formal independence, senior DPP leaders have not publicly stated that clause of late and Tsai has said she wishes to have peace with China and to maintain the status quo. [FULL STORY]