China warns Taiwan not to pass law on bilateral ties

China has warned Taiwan against passing a law that would govern cross-strait relations, saying the move would present an obstacle to the development of the mutual ties.

Taiwan’s pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which won presidential and legislative elections in January and is expected to start ruling the island in May, has proposed that the self-ruled territory’s parliament pass the law.

If ratified by the lawmakers, the law could complicate the passage of the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement, which China and Taiwan signed in 2013 to bring about investments in each other’s different sectors. That deal is also awaiting a vote at the Taiwanese legislature.

Commenting on the possibility of the ratification of the law in Taiwan’s parliament, a spokesman for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said, “Anything that damages the basis for consultations and negotiations between the two sides of the strait, interferes in or impedes relevant progress or puts up man-made blocks on the development of ties, we will resolutely oppose.”

China and Taiwan are physically separated by the Taiwan Strait in the west Pacific Ocean. They split politically following the 1927-1950 Chinese Civil War and there have been no formal cross-strait diplomatic relations ever since.

The neighbors’ relations took a turn for the better since its current President Ma Ying-jeou, who is expected to be replaced by the DPP’s Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen, came to power in 2008. Ma and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping held a historic meeting in Singapore last November.

Even during that meeting, the two leaders reportedly refused to call each other by their official titles, addressing each other as “mister” instead.

China regards Taiwan as part of its territory, but the island considers Beijing to be a threat, an attitude which has been invigorated since the DPP’s electoral victory.

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