US support for Taiwan may prove red rag to bullish China given trade war and military rivalry
The Guardian
Date: 3 Apr 2018
By: Simon Tisdall
China could do to Taiwan what Russia did to Crimea if Beijing’s relations with Washington, strained by an expanding trade war and military rivalry in the East and South China seas, deteriorate further.
The warning from maritime security experts follows a series of recent Chinese moves to put pressure on Taiwan’s pro-independence government. These include a vow last month by China’s president that Taiwan would face the “punishment of history” if it pursued a separatist course. “Any actions and tricks to split China are doomed to failure and will meet with the people’s condemnation,” Xi Jinping said.
The latest rupture came at the weekend after Taiwan’s premier, William Lai, told parliament in Taipei he was a “Taiwan independence worker” and that Taiwan was a sovereign, independent country. China, which calls Taiwan a renegade province, quickly condemned his comments as “dangerous and presumptuous”. The Chinese Communist party-published Global Times said an international warrant could be issued for Lai’s arrest under the 2005 anti-secession law. “If evidence of his crimes is cast-iron, then a global ‘wanted’ notice can be issued for him,” it said. [FULL STORY]