Taiwan is absolutely a country

When will the Chinese Communist Party understand the simple fact: Taiwan is an independent country! China should be denounced by its insane behavior.

Japan-China row turns to Taiwan

Thursday, 9 March 2006
[Source: BBC News]

China has denounced a comment by Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Aso after he called Taiwan "a country".

Japan's foreign ministry denied Mr Aso's remark was a change of Tokyo's official position, which recognises China's claim to Taiwan.

China also rejected a Japanese proposal to jointly develop disputed gas fields in the East China Sea.

Ties between China and Japan have deteriorated recently because of rows over energy and history.

Mr Aso made the comment about Taiwan when talking to a parliamentary committee.

"(Taiwan's) democracy is considerably matured and liberal economics is deeply ingrained, so it is a law-abiding country," he said. "In various ways it is a country that shares a sense of values with Japan."

But Tokyo's foreign ministry later denied this was meant to imply that it was changing its official stance on Taiwan, which it does not diplomatically recognise, in favour of China.

"There is no change in Japan's position on the Japan-China agreement of 1972 that stated there is one China," said Keiji Kamei, of the China division in the Foreign Ministry.

Beijing has nevertheless complained.

"China strongly protests this crude interference in its internal affairs," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang, expressing "surprise that a high-ranking Japanese diplomat would make such remarks".

China and Taiwan have been governed separately since a civil war ended in 1949, but China still sees Taiwan as its territory and has threatened to use force if the island moves towards declaring independence.