Just about the time that democracies start sprouting all over, Red China would like to remind everybody not to feel too good:

BEIJING — China unveiled a law Tuesday authorizing an attack if Taiwan moves toward formal independence, increasing pressure on the self-ruled island while warning other countries not to interfere. The United States said Beijing should reconsider.

Taiwan denounced the legislation as a “blank check to invade” and announced war games aimed at repelling an attack.

“If possibilities for a peaceful reunification should be completely exhausted, the state shall employ nonpeaceful means and other necessary measures to protect China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Wang Zhaoguo, deputy chairman of the congress’ Standing Committee, told the nearly 3,000 members gathered in the Great Hall of the People.

Reuters comes up with five facts about China-Taiwan relations:

* Beijing has claimed sovereignty over Taiwan since the end of China’s civil war in 1949, when the defeated Nationalists fled to the island as the Communists swept to power. China has vowed to bring Taiwan and its 23 million people back to the fold eventually — by force if necessary — but has said repeatedly that the anti-secession law is aimed merely at peaceful reunification.

* Cross-Strait trade, investment and tourism have blossomed since the late 1980s and China is now Taiwan’s largest trading partner, reaching a record $83 billion last year. Taiwan directly invested a total of $40.8 billion in its giant neighbour from 1993 to 2004. Nearly 1 million Taiwan businessmen and their families live on the mainland.

* The two sides engaged in direct talks after a 1992 agreement, but the discussions broke down in 1999 when Taiwan’s then-president Lee Teng-hui defined ties across the Strait as “special state-to-state” relations. China demands Taiwan recognise a “one-China” policy — which holds there is only one China and both Taiwan and the mainland are parts of China — to get dialogue back on track.

* Years of high tensions have sparked an arms race across the Strait. China has steadily boosted defence spending to modernise its military, developing short-range missiles and buying high-tech arms from abroad. Taiwan is currently considering a special $15 billion arms budget to buy submarines, anti-missile systems and submarine-hunting aircraft aimed at warding off a mainland attack.

* The United States has huge influence over relations. Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979, but remains Taiwan’s main arms supplier to Beijing’s chagrin. The United States has said it opposes any change in the status quo on the island’s relationship with China, but U.S. President George W. Bush has vowed to do whatever it takes to help Taiwan defend itself.

It shouldn’t be much of a surprise that the Chinese government would pick this time to raise the level of rhetoric to the point of implying “non peaceful” aggression. Beijing believes that the US in distracted by events in the Middle East and may not react in as strong a fashion as it normally would. This would be a mistake.