You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
6 <strong>January</strong> <strong>2019</strong><br />
ASIA<br />
www.theasianindependent.co.uk<br />
China ‘must be, will be’ reunified<br />
with Taiwan: Xi Jinping<br />
Beijing, President Xi<br />
Jinping on Wednesday said<br />
China must be and will be<br />
reunified with Taiwan, and<br />
called for the two rivals to work<br />
together to realise the “historic<br />
task” of complete reunification.<br />
“It is a historical conclusion<br />
drawn over 70 years of development<br />
of cross-strait relations,<br />
and a must for the great rejuvenation<br />
of the Chinese nation in<br />
the new era,” the Straits Times<br />
quoted Xi as saying in a speech<br />
at Beijing’s Great Hall of the<br />
People to commemorate the<br />
40th anniversary of “Message<br />
to Compatriots in Taiwan”.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Message was a policy<br />
document issued by the<br />
National People’s Congress —<br />
China’s Parliament — on<br />
<strong>January</strong> 1, 1979, the same day<br />
China and the US formally<br />
established relations after<br />
Washington broke ties with<br />
Taiwan. Up until 1979, China<br />
had conducted routine artillery<br />
bombardment of Taiwan-controlled<br />
offshore islands. But no<br />
peace treaty or formal end to<br />
hostilities has been signed<br />
since the detente, even as business,<br />
cultural and personal<br />
links flourished.<br />
In his speech, Xi sent a<br />
warning to advocates of<br />
Taiwan’s independence, including<br />
supporters of Taiwan<br />
President Tsai Ing-wen.<br />
Tsai, who has refused to<br />
affirm the “One China” consensus<br />
reached between Taiwan<br />
and China in 1992, has warned<br />
against continued threats from<br />
China.<br />
Xi said: “It’s a legal fact that<br />
both sides of the Strait belong<br />
to one China, and cannot be<br />
changed by anyone or any<br />
force.” Beijing “reserves the<br />
option of taking all necessary<br />
measures” against outside<br />
forces that interfere with peaceful<br />
reunification and against<br />
Taiwan independence separatist<br />
activities, he said.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Chinese leader also<br />
called for efforts to foster wideranging<br />
“democratic consultation”<br />
between representatives<br />
from both sides and deepen<br />
integrated development across<br />
the Taiwan Strait.<br />
He pledged to further institutionalise<br />
cross-strait economic<br />
cooperation and to forge a<br />
common market.<br />
Both sides should enhance<br />
the free flow of trade, connectivity<br />
in infrastructure,<br />
exchange of energy and<br />
resources, and shared industrial<br />
standards, Xi said.<br />
Unification would be done<br />
under a “one country, two systems”<br />
approach that would<br />
“safeguard the interests and<br />
well-being of Taiwanese compatriots”,<br />
and Taiwan will be<br />
guaranteed lasting peace, he<br />
said.<br />
'Accidental Prime Minister' :<br />
Case filed against Anupam<br />
Kher, others in BIHAR<br />
Patna : A case has been filed against actor Anupam Kher and<br />
others associated with upcoming film 'Accidental Prime Minister'<br />
in a Bihar court on Wednesday for damaging the image of some<br />
top people. Lawyer<br />
Sudhir Kumar Ojha filed<br />
the case in Muzaffarpur's<br />
Chief Judicial Magistrate<br />
(CJM) court. <strong>The</strong> court<br />
has admitted the case and<br />
fixed <strong>January</strong> 8 to hear<br />
the case in Sub<br />
Divisional Judicial<br />
Magistrate court.<br />
Ojha in his petition<br />
complained that Anupam<br />
Kher and Akshay<br />
Khanna, who have<br />
played the role of former<br />
Prime Minister<br />
Manmohan Singh and<br />
his press advisor Sanjaya<br />
Baru in the film, have<br />
damaged the image of<br />
both of them. "It hurt me<br />
and many others," he<br />
said. In his complaint,<br />
Ojha said others who<br />
have played the role of<br />
UPA chairperson Sonia<br />
Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi<br />
and Priyanka Vadra also damaged their image. He has also complained<br />
against the film director and producer.