Politics

China Threatens Taiwan Over Constitution

BEIJING -- A senior Chinese official warned that Beijing won't rule out war with Taiwan if the island's president pursues his plan to adopt a new constitution by 2008, the government's China Daily newspaper reported Friday. Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian has said he plans to introduce a new constitution for the island when his term ends in 2008. China and Taiwan split in 1949 amid civil war, but Beijing claims Taiwan is a part of its territory and has long said that formal independence would lead to war. Posted by Editor at August 2, 2004 04:52 AM