Q: Many media outlets reported that leader of the Taiwan region Tsai Ing-wen will “transit” Los Angeles from April 4 to April 6, during which she will deliver public speech at Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and meet with US officials including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. What’s your comment on this?
A: There is but one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, and the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. The one-China principle is a common understanding of the international community and a universally recognized basic norm in international relations. It has been recognized by United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 of 1971, and is a solemn commitment that the United States made in the three China-US joint communiqués. In recent years, US leaders also repeatedly stated in public that they do not support “Taiwan independence”, “two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan”.
China firmly opposes any form of official interactions between the US and Chinese Taiwan region. We firmly oppose any so-called visit by leaders of the Taiwan region to the US in any name or under whatever pretext. We firmly oppose the US government violating the one-China principle and having any form of engagement with Taiwan authorities. Tsai Ing-wen meets and interacts with US government officials and Congress members, delivers speech in public and puts on a political stunt, which are in fact official interactions with the US under the pretext of “transit”. Tsai’s visit is not so much a “transit”, but an attempt to seek breakthroughs and propagate “Taiwan independence”. In disregard of China’s strong démarches and repeated warnings, the US side insisted on arranging the so-called “transit” for Tsai Ing-wen, connived and supported the Taiwan authorities’ acts of seeking independence. China strongly protests and condemns that.
Speaker McCarthy is the leader of the US Congress and the third-highest ranking figure in the US government. If he meets Tsai,as whatever identity or in whatever name, it will be another serious violation of the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués. It will greatly hurt the national sentiments of the 1.4 billion Chinese people, send seriously wrong signals to “Taiwan independence” separatists, and undermine the political foundation of China-US relations. It is not conducive to regional peace, security and stability, and is out of line with the common interests of the Chinese and American people. If Speaker McCarthy ignores the international community’s broad support for the one-China principle, refuses to draw lessons from others’ mistakes, and insists on playing the “Taiwan card”, it will undoubtedly further damage China-US relations, and even strengthen the strong determination of the Chinese people to unite and fight for national reunification. The Chinese side will continue to closely follow the situation and resolutely safeguard our sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The historical ins and outs of the Taiwan question are crystal clear, so are the facts and status quo that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one and the same China. The Taiwan question is the very core of China’s core interests, the bedrock of the political foundation of China-US relations, and the first red line that must not be crossed in the relationship. China urges the US to honor the serious political commitments it made when establishing diplomatic relations with China, abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, stop all forms of official interaction with Taiwan authorities, stop upgrading its substantive exchanges with Taiwan region, and stop the wrong doings of using Taiwan to contain China.
Realizing complete national reunification is the general historical trend of the Chinese nation, and the common will and shared aspirations of all Chinese people. Tsai and other “Taiwan independence” separatists’ attempt to solicit US support to seek independence and act as a pawn to contain China is doomed to failure, which is against the trend of the times and will be judged by history and justice.
We hope that people from all walks of life in our consular district can clearly see the true intention of some politicians in the US and the Taiwan region, who ignore the fundamental interests of both Chinese and American people and colluded for their own political gains, and respect Chinese people’s will and efforts to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity and realize national reunification. We are willing to work with friends from all walks of life who love peace and uphold justice to firmly oppose any wrongful act that undermines China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, so as to jointly safeguard the sound and steady development of China-US relations and the fundamental interests of our two peoples.
