THE Chinese Prime Minister, Mr Li Peng, blamed Taiwan's leaders yesterday for deteriorating relations due to what he described as bid for independence. And he repeated Beijing's threat that ion would trigger a military attack.
Lino timetable for with Taiwan in his in to mark the first anniversary point proposal for by President Jiang Zemin, the Communist Party leader. "There is only one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of it," Mr Li said.
In a tough speech reiterating Beijing's long held position toward the Nationalist ruled island, Mr Li accused Taiwan's authorities of a drive to seek independence.
His speech, according to one diplomat, was intended to serve both as a warning and as an olive branch, in effect repeating President Jiang's offer of talks with Taiwan to end officially the state of hostility between the two sides.
However, Mr Li had also seized the opportunity to remind Taiwan voters that Beijing was determined to achieve reunification, with just two months to go before presidential elections expected to return Taiwan President Lee Teng hui to office.
China fears a popularly elected Lee might boost further the island's international image while at least one of his opponents openly supports Taiwan independence, the diplomat said.
China plans to station about 6,500 troops in Hong Kong after it regains sovereignty from Britain next year, a Hong Kong newspaper said yesterday. The projected Chinese troop strength, reported by the Oriental Daily News appeared similar to the military set up under British rule, according to Mr Roger Goodwin, spokesman for the British military.
In a public relations campaign in the past few days China has tried to allay local people's fears of People's Liberation Army troops overrunning Hong Kong after the 1997 hand over.