Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)
Political Bureau
Studies New Strategy Against Taiwan
by staff reporter Lo Ping
Cheng Ming No 262 1 Aug 99 pp 9-11
Political Bureau meeting on "Deterioration of the
Political Situation in Taiwan"
On 12 July, the CPC Central Committee held an enlarged political bureau
meeting on the topic of "deterioration of the political situation in
Taiwan." Persons in charge of the three armed services, four general
departments, all military regions, and group armies attended the meeting.
On 14 July, the CPC Central Committee, the State Council, and the
Central Military Commission [CMC] transmitted the content of that meeting
in the form of an urgent document to the party committees at the
provincial, ministry, and army level. The document was entitled "On the
Trends in Taiwan Authorities' Effort To Split Our Motherland."
Urgent Document Entitled "On the Trends In Taiwan Authorities' Effort To
Split Our Motherland"
The main content of this document is as follows:
In the struggle to maintain national unity and oppose separation, the
whole party, the whole Army, and the people of the whole nation will
steadfastly regard the state will as the paramount will and the national
interests and the highest interests.
II. Li Teng-hui and the Taiwan authorities have openly defined the
cross-strait relations as "country-to-country relations." The true colors
of the Taiwan independence forces trying to split the country are now
laid bare. It is a declaration of war on the whole nation and the whole
Army.
III. It is necessary to firmly and resolutely shatter the principled
stance of "Taiwan independence," "two Chinas," and "one China, one
Taiwan" which try to split our motherland; and firmly object to foreign
forces interfering in China's internal affairs.
IV. The central authorities' stand is firm and clear-cut, i.e. the
Taiwan issue must not be allowed to drag on. The current situation is not
in the interests of the Chinese nation.
The deterioration of the situation in Taiwan is set to compel the
central authorities to announce the use of military means, at a certain
time, to smash the act of the Taiwan independence forces in splitting our
motherland and strike those forces that try to split our motherland.
VI. The central authorities will make a firm and real response to Li
Teng-hui and the Taiwan authorities.
VII. The foundation that the two sides previously established for their
dialogue has now been ruined by Li Teng-hui and the Taiwan authorities
and dialogue has now lost its significance.
VIII. The current international situation is not in peace. Hegemonism,
power politics, and the gunboat policy are threatening world peace and
disrupting the order in the international community. The whole party and
the whole Army must further enhance their awareness. War may break out
any time and will impose itself on us.
IX. At present, it is necessary to adhere to the central work of the
party without wavering or changing direction, remove all kinds of
interference, and do all our work well with a sense of urgency.
Jiang Says the Conditions for Military Solution to Taiwan Issue Are Ripe
At this enlarged meeting of the political bureau, Jiang Zemin pointed
out: "Li Teng-hui and the Taiwan authorities have openly defined the
cross-strait relations as 'country-to-country or at least special
country-to-country relations.' They have bared to the light of the day
their hideous features as instigators to split the motherland and have
also pushed the Taiwan region toward war. The historical process has
proven that Comrade Xiaoping's and the party center's grasp of, insight
into, and judgment on the evolution and development of the situation
regarding Taiwan are scientific, correct, and perspicacious. The
establishing of 'Taiwan independence' and 'two Chinas' by Li Teng-hui and
the Taiwan authorities in their attempt to split our motherland is a
crime in that it betrays our motherland and betrays the Chinese nation.
This is a declaration of war on the whole party, the whole Army, and the
whole nation. In view of the principle of one country, the interests of
the Chinese nation, and the will of the 1.2 billion people, the
conditions for striking the forces that try to split our motherland and
solve the Taiwan issue with military forces and military means have now
ripened. At this point in time, there is no alternative. If Li Teng-hui
and the Taiwan authorities, as well as the Taiwan independence forces, do
not rein in at the brink of the precipice immediately and stop letting
Taiwan independence, two Chinas, and one China and one Taiwan materialize
into action, policy, and program, we shall immediately announce moves to
liberate Taiwan by military means and complete the great cause of
national reunification. Li Teng-hui and the chief leaders of the 'Taiwan
independence' group will be tried in court as criminals that attempted to
split our motherland."
Zhang Wannian Declares Position at Meeting on Behalf of Three Armed
Services
Zhang Wannian made a speech at the 12 July meeting to declare his position
on behalf of the three armed services: "The three armed services shoulder
the sacred mission of safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial
integrity. They shall strengthen preparedness against war, increase their
fighting capacity, and wait in combat readiness for orders from the party
center with Comrade Jiang Zemin at the core: to liberate Taiwan, complete
the great cause of national reunification, counter any military
intervention from hegemonism, and fight well and win a limited
high-technology war."
Second Meeting of Political Bureau Adopts Two Resolutions
After Jiang Zemin returned from his visit to Mongolia, foreign news
agencies speculated that the CPC Central Committee's political bureau
would hold another meeting on 19 July to discuss how to deal with Taiwan.
In fact, the meeting lasted two half-days, on 18 and 19 July. It was the
second enlarged meeting of the political bureau within one week from the
12 July meeting. The participants that this meeting was enlarged for were
still military leaders. On 18 and 19 July, more than 120 military
personalities attended the meeting as voting or nonvoting delegates.
The meeting adopted two resolutions, "Judgment of Taiwan Situation" and
"Policy and Strategy Toward Taiwan."
Judgment of the Situation in Taiwan
The main content of the first resolution has the following seven points:
Under the influence of the U.S. strategy toward China, the political
situation in the Taiwan region has evolved toward the path of Taiwan
independence and splitting and this has become a "fact."
II. Dominated by Li Teng-hui's stance on Taiwan independence, the system
in the Taiwan region has begun to gravitate toward Taiwan independence
and the formation of the public support for Taiwan independence as a
mainstream public opinion is accelerating.
III. The putting forward of the separatist theory of "country-to-country
relations" by Li Teng-hui and the Taiwan authorities is a manifestation
of the Li Teng-hui line. Li is attempting to instigate military and
political intervention from the United States and meddling in China's
internal affairs by the international community, by taking advantage of
the tension in Sino-U.S. relations.
IV. Li Teng-hui and the Taiwan authorities are trying to use the
separatist theory of "country-to-country relations" to test the response
from the central authorities and the military, as well as the measures
they will adopt.
Li Teng-hui and the Taiwan authorities try to set the tone for the
future cross-strait relations and use it as a base note for the Taiwan
authorities' future approach to cross-strait relations.
VI. Li Teng-hui and the Taiwan authorities try to upgrade support from
the public opinion by openly announcing the separatist theory of
"country-to-country relations."
VII. Li Teng-hui and the Taiwan authorities try to openly express their
convergence with the Democratic Progressive Party through the separatist
theory of "country-to-country relations," so as to generate support for
the latter.
Resolution on Policy and Strategy Toward Taiwan
The main content of the second resolution has the following eight
points:
On the big issue of peaceful reunification of our motherland, we must
not hold any illusion about Li Teng-hui and the Taiwan authorities, as
well as their agents and followers.
II. With Li Teng-hui announcing the theory of "country-to-country" or
"at least special country-to-country relations," Taiwan independence has
been activated in principle of law. Meanwhile, the action of our party
and our Army to settle the splitting of our motherland by military means
has also been activated.
III. It is necessary to issue a solemn warning to the move by the Taiwan
authorities to create tension across the straits and provoke war; faced
with the imminent "splitting," we shall adopt military means to settle
the issue as there is no alternative.
IV. If Li Teng-hui, the Taiwan authorities, and their agents use the
public opinion in the Taiwan region to justify "Taiwan independence" and
amend the constitution of the Republic of China to establish Taiwan
independence, we shall immediately declare a war to punish the forces in
Taiwan that try to split the country.
The issue of the Taiwan region is purely China's internal affair and we
are against any intervention by foreign forces and any interference by
any international organization. This is a steadfast national policy and
principle.
Being Prepared To "Fight a Limited High-Technology War"
VI. It is necessary to be prepared both psychologically and in military
strategy for fighting a limited high-technology war against aggression
and intervention in a military confrontation between China and the United
States in the Taiwan Straits that may result from the hegemonic military
intervention from the United States.
VII. It is imperative at present to adhere to economic construction as
our central work, do well in our reform by seizing the opportunity, and
promote development.
VIII. The whole Army should enhance its ideological and political quality,
strengthen high-quality preparedness against war, and streamline the
military to prepare for the deterioration of the situation and sudden
outbreak of war.
Jiang Zemin Signs Two CMC Orders Within Two Days
At the meeting, the General Staff Headquarters proposed amending the
previous military strategy for liberating Taiwan. It was also mentioned
at the meeting that this war is going to take place sooner or later, but
the question is under what situation we should fight it in order to make
it more justified and more favorable. Also mentioned was how to minimize
damage to economic construction and casualties once the war starts, the
assessment of the level of the United States' military intervention and
involvement, and the military preparation for war with the United States.
It is learned that on 12 July, Jiang Zemin signed the CMC's No. 15
Order of 1999: "The special units of the Nanjing theater, the air force,
the units of the 2d Artillery stationed in the Nanjing theater and
Guangzhou theater, and the air arm and submarine zongdui of the
East China Sea Fleet shall enter level-two combat readiness."
Missiles Are Aimed at 150 Military and Ordnance Industry Targets of Taiwan
On 13 July, Jiang Zemin again signed a CMC No. 16 Order of 1999: "The
units of the 2d Artillery shall aim the missiles in its
surface-to-surface missile bases at more than 150 main military and
ordnance industry targets of strike in the Taiwan region, including
nuclear power facilities, communications facilities, and political nerve
centers."
It is learned that since the war in the Middle East ended, the CPC has
continually conducted exercises in the northwest military bases aimed at
the U.S. military force. After the trouble in the Taiwan Straits in 1996,
they conducted a military exercise for reinforcement from nearshore
bases, again aimed at the United States' aircraft carriers. Those who are
responsible for military exercises targeted at the United States include
Wu Quanxu, deputy chief of general staff; Yang Guoliang, commander of the
2d Artillery; and Liu Shunyao, commander of the air force.
Chi Haotian Foresees Several Scenarios of War Against Taiwan and the
United States
At a meeting attended by cadres from military academies and
institutions ranking at and above the division level on 14 July, Chi
Haotian presented several possible scenarios of military liberation of
Taiwan.
China may use its limited military strength to destroy the military bases,
military forces, and a number of targets connected to political and
economic lifelines that the Taiwan authorities depend on for their
survival, so as to force the Taiwan authorities to abandon "Taiwan
independence" and come to the negotiation table for national
reunification.
II. Because of the hegemonic military intervention from the United
States, China and the United States may fight a limited high-technology
war in the Taiwan Straits. Consequently, the economic construction in the
Taiwan region may unavoidably be ruined, leading to the liberation of
Taiwan in the end, for which we will also pay a certain price.
III. Because of the intervention and stepping-in by the United States and
the U.S.-led military bloc, China is forced to suspend its "economic
construction" as its central work and move into a war that focuses on
protecting our motherland and safeguarding our national territorial
integrity. It may also evolve into World War
III. We should fight well in
the war and restart the construction once the country is reunified.
Chi Haotian said: "Our strategic principles must be based on the
scenario of military intervention by the United States at the deployment
level. We should fight a high-technology war and, more importantly, be
prepared against the military intervention by a bloc of countries led by
the United States and fight a modern, high-technology war of a
considerable scale.
[Description of source: non-PRC-owned monthly magazine ("Contending"); focuses on
political issues in the PRC; tendency to sensationalize]
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