China accuses Taiwan of war talk

China today accused Taiwan of “war-provoking behaviour” after its premier said the island could hit Shanghai with missiles in the event of an attack by the mainland.

The Chinese Cabinet’s Taiwan Affairs Office also lashed out at Taiwan’s planned multi-billion-dollar purchase of US weapons, suggesting it was aimed at making the island permanently independent.

Taiwanese Premier Yu Shyi-kun angered Beijing last week when he said the weapons were needed to maintain a balance of power, and that if China hit the island with missiles he would “at least hit Shanghai”.

“This demonstrates Taiwan’s ambitions of using force and its false attitude toward peace and Taiwan independence,” said Li Weiyi, a spokesman for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office.

Li accused Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian of “creating tension and damaging peace in the Taiwan Straits”, and said the island was “obstinately carrying out splittist activities” – Beijing’s term for pursuing formal independence.

Civil war split the two sides in 1949 and China has threatened to take the island by force should it move towards permanent independence or postpone unification for too long.

The mainland has hundreds of missiles pointing at Taiwan and is steadily increasing the numbers.

Taiwan’s $18bn (€14.6bn) plan to buy US-made anti-missile systems, planes and submarines sparked a protest march by thousands last weekend in Taipei. The demonstrators complained that the deal would start a wasteful arms race.

Beijing has asked Washington to scrap the deal.