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KMT Reversal Prompts Fresh Chinese War Threat Against Taiwan

Natalie Liu

   WASHINGTON - A stunning reversal by members of Taiwan's leading
   opposition party -- long seen as supporting friendly relations with
   Beijing -- has given fresh impetus to Chinese calls for the use of
   military action to bring the self-governing territory to heel.

   "We must no longer hold any more illusions," wrote Hu Xijin, the
   editor-in-chief of [1]Global Times, part of China's state media
   conglomerate. "The only way forward is for the mainland to fully
   prepare itself for war and to give Taiwan secessionist forces a
   decisive punishment at any time."

   Hu's Oct. 6 editorial was prompted by two bills proposed by the
   Kuomintang (KMT) in Taiwan's Legislative Yuan, urging the government to
   actively pursue restoration of formal diplomatic ties between
   Washington and Taipei and request U.S. official assistance to defend
   the island against any future Chinese aggression.

   "Our government ought to try and persuade the United States to lend us
   help diplomatically, economically, and/or through direct military
   intervention" if and when the Chinese communist authorities take such
   actions as to constitute a direct threat to Taiwan's democratic
   existence, the proposed legislation said. The bills were passed without
   objection Tuesday.

   "We wish for the world to see and understand that we in Taiwan, across
   Party lines, are determined not to seek war, but also equally
   determined not to fear war," the [2]KMT caucus stated.

References

   1. https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1202774.shtml
   2. https://udn.com/news/story/121727/4914400

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