The New Nation - Internet Edition

Reuters, Beijing

China has sounded a fresh warning to self-ruled Taiwan over a planned referendum on its bid to join the United Nations, saying such a move by an island it considers sovereign territory would endanger regional peace.

Successive bids by Taiwan, recognized by just a handful of countries around the world, for U.N. membership have failed for the past 15 years. Beijing has threatened to atack the island if it moves towards formal independence.

Jia Qinglin, ranked fourth in the Communist Party hierarchy, said "splitist activities" on the island remained "vehement" "The Chen Shui-bian administration has ignored the interests of Taiwan people and international condemnation to obstinately push forward the activities for personal gains," Jia told a conference. Chen is the island's independence-minded president

"It is set to damage the fundamental interests of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and threaten peace and stability in the region and Asia-Pacific," Jia said, according to a report in the People's Daily.