World

China, Taiwan Rattle Sabers

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

August 2, 1999 / 12:10 PM EDT / CBS

As China was reportedly beefing up its air and sea patrols, Taipei on Thursday announced that it would stage an air show to boost public confidence in the islandÂ's defenses.

Although Taiwan immediately denied that the planned show of force was aimed at the mainland, the announcement was the latest volley to be lobbed across the Taiwan Strait in an intensifying battle of rhetoric and symbol that was sparked by TaiwanÂ's cancellation of its longstanding Â"one-ChinaÂ" policy.

Despite official assurances that Taipei will not provoke a conflict, Taiwan's United Daily News quoted unnamed military officials as saying the Taiwan air force will intercept Â"with full forceÂ" any Chinese jets that fly across the center line of the Taiwan Strait.

China, meanwhile, has undertaken a string of threatening military actions of its own in the wake of TaiwanÂ's separatist-leaning move. Beijing test-fired a long-range missile this week and has even warned that it possesses neutron bomb technology.

In Washington, officials urged restraint from both sides.

Assistant Secretary of State Stanley Roth, who went to Beijing last week to confer with Chinese officials on the crisis, said there was Â"no sign of imminent hostilitiesÂ" across the Taiwan Strait.

Still, Â"we do not know if our warnings not to engage in military activity will work,Â" Roth said. Â"The risk of escalation remains.Â" Roth said the administration was particularly concerned that an accident could spark a confrontation.

In calling for relations between China and Taiwan to be conducted on a state-to-state basis, TaiwanÂ's president was probably responding to domestic political conditions rather than deliberately provoking Beijing, reports CBS News Asia Bureau Chief Bruce Dunning.

Lee stopped short of declaring Taiwan an independent nation. That is BeijingÂ's line in the sand: China has repeatedly warned that it would attack Taiwan in order to enforce the policy that there is only one China and that Taiwan is part of it.

With presidential elections next March, Lee came closer to declaring independence than any Taiwan official ever has. His KMT Party Â– dominated by nationalists who fled Communist China - has ruled Taiwan since 1912.

His opponents from the DPP Party generally represent the so-called Taiwan natives opposed to rule by any mainland regime. Their power and appeal is increasing, and Lee, a native Taiwanese himself, needs to respond to this desire for independence if his KMT is to hold on to the presidency.

The U.S., which has joined a chorus of nations recognizing Beijing as the head of a single China, says it is up to the authorities on both sides to peacefully settle their differences.