Beijing Warns Taiwan Not to Stall on Accepting ‘One China’ Principle

China parried newly inaugurated Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian’s calls for peace talks Saturday by accusing him of insincerity and warning that unification with the mainland could not be postponed indefinitely.

The statement issued by the Taiwan office of the State Council, China’s Cabinet, and the Taiwan department of the ruling Communist Party’s Central Committee was restrained in tone but reiterated Beijing’s threats that moves toward independence would mean war.

“If anyone dares to try to split Taiwan from China, he will bear historical responsibility for causing a resumption of China’s civil war,” the statement said. It was carried by the official New China News Agency and read on state-run television.

China and Taiwan split amid civil war 51 years ago, and Beijing has threatened to attack if Taipei seeks formal independence or stalls indefinitely on starting unification talks.

Following Chen’s election in March, Chinese leaders urged him to prove his good intentions by explicitly recognizing that Taiwan is part of “one China.” In his speech, however, Chen made only a passing reference to that demand, saying he believes that leaders on both sides have the “wisdom and creativity to jointly deal with the question of a future ‘one China.’ ”

Chen’s speech “avoided the crucial issue of accepting the one-China policy; the attitude is evasive and vague,” the Beijing statement said. “Obviously, his ‘goodwill reconciliation’ lacks sincerity.”