Published January 15,2024
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China on Monday urged the U.S. to acknowledge “extreme complexity and sensitivity” over Taiwan after an “unofficial” delegation from Washington met political leaders on the island nation.
“The regional election of Taiwan is China’s internal affair,” mentioned Mao Ning, the spokeswoman for Chinese Foreign Ministry.
According to American Institute in Taiwan, Washington’s consultant workplace in Taipei, “US government had asked former senior officials to travel in their private capacity to Taiwan.”
Former National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley and former Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg arrived in Taipei on Sunday.
Accompanied by Institute’s Chair Laura Rosenberger, they met Taiwan’s President Tsain Ing-wen the place Hadley mentioned U.S. dedication to Taiwan is “rock solid, principled and bipartisan.”
The delegation additionally met president-elect William Lai Ching-te who gained the three-way presidential elections with 40.5% of the vote on Saturday, giving the ruling Democratic Progressive Party an unprecedented third time period.
Asserting China’s “firm opposition” to any official exchanges between the U.S. and Taiwan “under any pretext,” Mao urged Washington to “earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques.”
However, Beijing requested Washington to “implement promises made by U.S. leaders about not supporting ‘Taiwan independence,’ not endorsing the concept of ‘two Chinas’ and not seeking to use the Taiwan question as a means to contain the mainland.”
“The US needs to exercise extreme prudence in handling Taiwan-related issues, and must not obscure and hollow out the one-China principle in any form or send any wrong signal to ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces,” Mao mentioned, based on transcript of her news convention held in Beijing.
After the assembly in Taipei, Lai mentioned he was happy to satisfy the visiting U.S. delegation.
“Together with our friends in the US, Taiwan remains steadfast in promoting democracy, peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific,” Lai mentioned on X.
The Institute mentioned the delegation would convey “congratulations from the American people to Taiwan on its successful elections, support for Taiwan’s continued prosperity and growth, and our longstanding interest in cross-Strait peace and stability.”
U.S. delegation’s assembly in Taipei got here as Taiwan misplaced one other diplomatic associate on Monday, bringing down the variety of Taipei’s diplomatic allies to 12 from 18 underneath the administration of outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen since 2016.
Beijing thanked Russia and different international locations and worldwide organizations for “publicly reiterating their commitment to the one-China principle and opposition to ‘Taiwan independence’.”
“This is the voice of justice and peace from the international community,” Mao mentioned.
Mao added that Beijing had lodged a protest towards Singapore after the city-state “welcomed” and “congratulated” the Taiwanese elections winner.
Source: www.anews.com.tr