jozjozjoz.com

So typical of the mainlanders to bully and threaten the rest of the world to get what they want. It is also quite telling that Zhu Chenghu would say that “China would have no option but to go nuclear in the event of an attack.” No option? Negotiation is not an option? Good to know.

Another note: It’s interesting how various places describe the historical background on the relationship between China & Taiwan. In this article they say, “China has claimed Taiwan as its own since 1949, and vowed to bring the self-governed democracy back into the fold.” I like the acknowledgement of Taiwan being its own “self-governed democracy” a whole lot better than some other articles who refer to Taiwan as a “rogue province” without any context as to the current democracy that exists there.

(Full article below)

Chinese general warns U.S. over Taiwan-newspaper
By John Ruwitch

The United States on Friday criticized as “irresponsible” a reported warning by a Chinese general that China is ready to use nuclear weapons against the United States if Washington attacks his country over Taiwan.

The Financial Times reported that Zhu Chenghu, a top general of the People’s Liberation Army, said he was expressing his own views and did not anticipate a conflict with Washington, but nevertheless said China would have no option but to go nuclear in the event of an attack.

“If the Americans draw their missiles and position-guided ammunition onto the target zone on China’s territory, I think we will have to respond with nuclear weapons,” he told an official briefing for foreign journalists.

A spokeswoman for China’s Foreign Ministry noted that the general had said he was not speaking on behalf of the government. A spokesman later said the ministry was looking into the matter.

The Defense Ministry declined to comment, saying the Foreign Ministry had organized the event at which the general spoke.

In Washington, where anxiety about economic and strategic challenges posed by China is widely voiced, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters: “We hope that these comments don’t reflect the views of the Chinese government.”

“I haven’t seen all the remarks but what I’ve seen of them, I’ll say that they’re irresponsible,” he added.

Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said Zhu had “talked about a hypothetical situation” and declined further comment.

China has claimed Taiwan as its own since 1949, and vowed to bring the self-governed democracy back into the fold. In March, China’s parliament passed an anti-secession law authorizing the use of “non-peaceful means” to do so.

RESUME DIALOGUE

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso urged China to resume dialogue with Taiwan before Beijing hosts the Olympics in 2008.

“This will also greatly advance China’s international standing and reputation as a global player with a particular responsibility for peace and security in East Asia,” Barroso said during his first visit to China as commission president.

Beijing refuses to deal with Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian, who takes a pro-independence stance on the self-ruled island that China has vowed to attack if it formally declares statehood.

Gen. Zhu said the threat to escalate a conflict might be the only way to stop one because China did not have the capability to fight a conventional war with the United States.

“If the Americans are determined to interfere … we will be determined to respond,” he said.

“We Chinese will prepare ourselves for the destruction of all of the cities east of Xian. Of course the Americans will have to be prepared that hundreds … of cities will be destroyed by the Chinese,” he added.

China has a declared policy of not using its nuclear weapons unless it has already suffered nuclear attack.

Taiwan’s defense ministry declined to comment directly on Zhu’s comments. But spokesman Liou Chih-chien said: “The use of nuclear weapons is something that the international community will condemn.”

The newspaper observed that it was unclear what prompted the remarks, but noted that they were the most specific by a senior Chinese official in nearly a decade.

In Beijing earlier this month, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said there should be no unilateral change in the status quo over Taiwan.

“That means that we don’t support unilateral moves toward independence by Taiwan. It also means that we are concerned about the military balance, and we’ll say to China that they should do nothing militarily to provoke Taiwan,” she added.

(Additional reporting by Niu Shuping and Benjamin Kang Lim in Beijing, Tiffany Wu in Taipei, Jeremy Lovell in London and Saul Hudson in Washington)