Taipei (AsiaNews/Agencies) Tensions are mounting between China and Taiwan. Taiwan's President Chen Shui-bian's demand that the Kuomintang (KMT) change its emblem (a 12-point white sun on blue sky) because of its close similarity to that of the Republic of China is the latest in a series of episodes that have pushed Beijing to warn its rebellious province of the inevitability of war.
Wang Zaixi, deputy-minister of the mainland's Taiwan Affairs Office, said that "there may be armed conflict if the island keeps bumping Beijing's 'one-China' bottom line and pushes for independence".
According to Mr Wang, Chen Shui-bian and his supporters "are attempting to exploit ... the fact that mainland compatriots are focusing energy on developing the economy and preparing for the 2008 Olympics".
Tensions across the Taiwan Strait have been rising lately for several reasons. In mid-November, President Chen Shui-bian announced that if his party wins the December 11 elections, he would apply for membership in the United Nations under the name of Taiwan. Under the UN Charter, only independent states can be admitted.
Mainland China has called attempts by the Taiwanese authorities to promote a specifically 'Taiwanese' culture through Taiwan-centred school manuals and university research departments steps that might 'compromise peace".
Chen Shui-bian, who supports a 'Taiwanese' identity, said that the next two years are crucial for the resumption of negotiations. Mr Wang also said he hoped that a dialogue under the one-China principle could start again.
Mainland authorities are however convinced that recent statements from Taiwan are more than mere rhetoric for the upcoming elections but betray instead separatist intentions. For this reason, they are trying to gain international support against them.
For some analysts, Beijing should abandon its policy of non interference and directly put pressure on Taiwan's independence movement. (MA)