Beijing sets conditions for joining coalition

A Chinese military policeman checks identification near the U.S. Embassy in Beijing

By Willy Wo-Lap Lam
Senior China Analyst

HONG KONG, China (CNN) -- Beijing has told the United States it must help China fight separatism in its regions, including Taiwan, if it wants help in its global war against terrorism.

This is the first time Beijing has laid down conditions for aiding Washington's possible campaign against the Taliban in Afghanistan, and signals that China is trying to stamp its influence in the region following last week's terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.

Afghanistan's ruling Taliban, who espouse a purist form of Islam, are under the spotlight for sheltering Saudi-born Muslim militant Osama bin Laden, America's prime suspect in the attacks.

Speaking at a regular press briefing on Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao said that Washington's request for Beijing's help in fighting terrorism must be reciprocated.

"China, by the same token, has reasons to ask the U.S. to give its support and understanding in the fight against terrorism and separatists [within China]," Zhu said.

"We should not have double standards."

Own strife

China faces secessionist problems in Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang. Afghanistan's Taliban has already provided assistance to Uighur separatists in Xinjiang, while Beijing views Taiwan as a renegade province.

The Chinese leadership has since April criticized the Bush administration for selling sophisticated weapons to Taiwan.

In the same briefing, Zhu pointed out any retaliatory steps that the United States contemplated taking against terrorist groups should be based on "concrete evidence" and that no innocent civilians should be hurt.

He reiterated Beijing's long-standing stance that such actions be conducted under the auspices of the United Nations Security Council, where Beijing has power of veto.

Top talks

Also on Tuesday, Chinese President Jiang Zemin held telephone talks with the leaders of Russia, France and the U.K.

China's official Xinhua news agency quoted Jiang as telling Russian President Vladimir Putin that in the fight against terrorism, "the role of the U.N. Security Council should be fully exerted and the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council should increase consultations."

Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan is on his way to the United States to hold talks with Secretary of State Colin Powell regarding the fight against terrorism.

Western diplomats in Beijing said Tang would also raise the issue of how China could help Washington's anti-terrorist campaigns in return for American assistance over the Taiwan issue.

They said Beijing wanted Washington to cut down on arms sales to Taiwan, and to restate former president Bill Clinton's stance on Taiwan.

During NATO's air strikes against Kosovo in 1999, Beijing had criticized the U.S. and European countries for bypassing the U.N. -- and for not observing the principle of the territorial integrity of sovereign states.