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Reuters. 16 March 2002. China Accuses U.S. of 'Nuclear Blackmail.' BEIJING -- China, using its strongest language against the United States in months, accused Washington on Saturday of "nuclear blackmail." State television said Vice Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing called in U.S. Ambassador Clark T. Randt Jr to deliver "solemn representations" on a Pentagon nuclear policy review and a visit to the United States by Taiwan Defense Minister Tang Yiau-ming. It said Li protested strongly at a U.S. policy review reported to describe contingency plans to aim nuclear weapons at China, among several other countries. "China wants to make it very clear that China will never yield to foreign threats, including nuclear blackmail," the television report quoted Li as telling Randt. "The days when China could be bullied are gone forever," he was quoted as saying. Threats would "simply increase the determination of the Chinese people to safeguard their sovereignty," he added. Li also accused Washington of encouraging independence activists in Taiwan, which Beijing regards as a rebel province to be reunited with the mainland, by force if necessary, by allowing Tang in and letting him meet senior U.S. officials. Beijing has a standing threat to invade the island if Taiwan declares independence or drags its feet indefinitely on reunification talks. It always issues angry protests when a senior Taiwan official is allowed into the United States. But Beijing was particularly incensed by Tang's talks with U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, the highest-level documented U.S.-Taiwan defense talks in at least 22 years. China's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that Tang's visit, and his meeting with Wolfowitz at a private conference in Florida, jeopardized a recent warming in Sino-U.S. ties. The talks focused on U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and were seen by some analysts as a U.S. bid to counter China's growing military power. On Wednesday, an official Chinese newspaper accused Washington of using the policy review as a pretext to resume nuclear tests and develop new nuclear arms to extend its military dominance in the world. But Li's language was the strongest China has used against the United States in many months and stood out sharply against the background of improved ties since Beijing backed the U.S. war on terror following the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington. Li accused Washington of breaching three joint communiques, which paved the way for a normalization of ties, by offering Taiwan advanced weapons. "The United States must abandon the idea of Taiwan as an unsinkable aircraft carrier," he was quoted as saying. "Taiwan has been a burden on the U.S. shoulders for more than half a century. We don't see any good in the U.S. continuing to shoulder that burden," he said. "It will simply drop a stone on its own toes." . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barry Stoller http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ProletarianNews --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9617B Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
