Updated March 02, 2018 17:11:39

Photo: China says Taiwan is the most sensitive issue in its ties with Washington. (Reuters: Stephan Lam)

Chinese state media has threatened that the country could go to war over Taiwan if the United States passes into law a bill promoting closer US ties with the self-ruled island that China claims as its own.

The legislation, which only needs President Donald Trump's signature to become law, says it should be US policy to allow officials at all levels to travel to Taiwan to meet their Taiwanese counterparts, permit high-level Taiwanese officials to enter the United States "under respectful conditions" and meet with US officials.

Beijing considers democratic Taiwan to be a wayward province and integral part of "one China", ineligible for state-to-state relations.

China has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control.

In a strongly-worded editorial, the official China Daily said if the bill becomes law, it will only encourage Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen to further assert the island's sovereignty.

"[It] would lead to the inevitable consequence of triggering the Anti-Secession Law that allows Beijing to use force to prevent the island from seceding," the paper said, referring to a Chinese law passed in 2005.

"Since the US is bound by domestic law to act on behalf of the island in that instance, it would only give substance to the observation that the descent into hell is easy."

China's hostility towards Taiwan has risen since the election of Ms Tsai from the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party in 2016.

Beijing's rising military presence

China suspects Ms Tsai wants to push for formal independence, a red line for Communist Party leaders in Beijing, though the country said it wants to maintain the status quo and is committed to ensuring peace. Taiwan has welcomed the US legislation.

In a second editorial, the widely-read state-run Global Times tabloid said China could "make targeted measures against pro-independence forces in Taiwan".

The majority of the Communist Party elites were replaced with a line-up of seven men whose decisions will impact China's 1.4 billion people and the world.

"Militarily, the strength of the People's Liberation Army has fundamentally changed the military and political situation across the Straits," it said, talking about the narrow waterway that separates Taiwan from its giant neighbour.

"Thanks to its rapid growth, the Chinese mainland is now granted unparalleled strategic initiative across the Taiwan Straits."

China has dramatically upped its military presence around Taiwan.

The Chinese Air Force has carried out 16 rounds of exercises close to Taiwan in the last year or so, said Taiwan's Defence Ministry in late December, warning that China's military threat was growing by the day.

The US has no formal ties with Taiwan but is bound by law to help it defend itself and is the island's main source of arms.

China has regularly said Taiwan is the most sensitive issue in its ties with Washington.

Reuters

Topics: territorial-disputes, world-politics, china, taiwan, asia

First posted March 02, 2018 16:51:18