International SQUALL

China Continues Nuclear Testing

Squall 12, Spring 1996, pg. 51.

China has decided to ignore a nuclear test ban agreement reached by Russia, the US, Britain and, finally, France.

It is considered that at least some of the reason why China continues to let off nuclear bombs is to keep the frighteners on Taiwan. Rumours abound that China intends to launch a missile attack on Taiwan in an attempt to disrupt the democratic elections taking place on the island in March. China is thought to consider that the elections will help establish Taiwan’s independence in the eyes of the world. China’s prime minister, Li Peng, told a rally in Tiananmen Square recently: “There is only one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of it.”

China’s previous attempts to bring Taiwan to its knees has occasionally reached farcical proportions. At one stage, China set up a huge sound system on the beach facing Taiwan, blasting incessant propaganda at the island. By way of an arms escalation, Taiwan then did the same, resulting in a bizarre DJ sound clash across a hundred miles of ocean. If only the war would remain on this level everything would be fine, but with China flexing its nuclear muscle and making itself accountable to no-one, the implications of its nuclear capability are sending shudders throughout the world.