China:Cross-strait relations between mainland China and Taiwan are becoming more tense ahead of presidential elections on the self-ruled island next month.
Beijing has reacted angrily to an announcement by Taiwan, which it considers a renegade province and part of China, that it will hold a referendum on joining the United Nations on March 22nd, the same day as the presidential poll.
China and Taiwan split at the end of the civil war in 1949, when the defeated Kuomintang forces of Chiang Kai-shek retreated across the Taiwan Straits. Since then Beijing has bitterly opposed any attempt to declare independence, saying it will invade if necessary. The US, which supported the Kuomintang during the war, has pledged to back Taiwan in the event of any military intervention by China.
The referendum was proposed by President Chen Shui-bian and backed by his independence-leaning party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
His party was heavily defeated last month by the opposition Kuomintang (KMT), which favours closer ties with Beijing.
Mainland China's Taiwan Affairs office said the decision to hold a referendum on asking to join the UN was an "ugly intention" that would threaten peace in the region as "a referendum on 'Taiwan independence' in a disguised form".
"We pay close attention to development of this 'referendum' issue. If the authority led by Chen Shui-bian stubbornly risks danger in desperation, it will certainly pay a heavy cost," the office said the statement.
"People on both the mainland and the island are brothers in flesh and blood and they share the same fundamental interests," the statement said.
Taipei has responded by accusing Beijing of offering cheap air tickets to Taiwanese living on the mainland to help influence the election.
Taiwan, which is officially known as the Republic of China, lost its UN seat to the mainland in 1971 and is now only recognised diplomatically by 23 small countries. It has made several attempts to rejoin the UN but has been constantly foiled by Beijing, which holds a veto on the Security Council as a permanent member.
Taipei's ally Washington has also said it is opposed to Taiwan holding a referendum, as it does not wish to inflame cross-strait tensions.
The KMT said it had not yet decided whether it would boycott the referendum or not. The party claims the DPP is holding the referendums and the presidential race on the same day to help it shore up flagging support for its top candidate, Frank Hsieh.
President Chen further irritated the Beijing leadership by visiting the disputed and possibly oil-rich Spratly Islands to assert a territorial claim in a move that upset various Asian nations which also claim the islands, including China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia.