Beijing: In disregard of China’s opposition, Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, went to China’s Taiwan region on August 2-3. The move was a serious infringement upon China’s sovereignty and it sent a wrong signal to the separatist forces seeking “Taiwan independence.”
In response, the Chinese Government has unveiled a series of countermeasures. These include staging military drills near Taiwan, punishing organizations related to die-hard “Taiwan independence” elements, suspending the sale of natural sand, a vital construction material, to Taiwan, as well as suspending the purchase of some farm produce from the island.
Edited excerpts of official statements follow:
Wang Yi
State Councilor and Foreign Minister
Pelosi’s visit seriously violated the one-China principle, maliciously infringed on China’s sovereignty and blatantly engaged in political provocations, which has aroused strong indignation among the Chinese people and widespread opposition from the international community.
It proves once again that some U.S. politicians have become troublemakers in China-U.S. relations, and that the United States has become the biggest destroyer of peace across the Taiwan Straits and of regional stability.
The United States should not dream of obstructing China’s reunification. Taiwan is a part of China. The complete reunification of China is the trend of the times and an inevitability of history. We will leave no room for “Taiwan independence” forces and external interference.
No matter how the United States supports or connives at the “Taiwan independence” forces, it will be all in vain. The United States will only leave more ugly records of gross meddling in other countries’ internal affairs in history. The Taiwan question arose when the country was weak and chaotic, and will surely end with national rejuvenation.
The United States should not fantasize about undermining China’s development and revitalization. China has found a correct development path in line with its own national conditions. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), 1.4 billion Chinese people are striding toward Chinese-style modernization.
We develop our country and nation on the basis of our own strength, and are willing to coexist peacefully and develop together with other countries. But we will never allow any country to undermine China’s stability and development.
Provoking trouble on the Taiwan question in an attempt to delay China’s development and undermine China’s peaceful rise will be totally futile and will surely lead to total failure.
The United States should not fantasize about manipulating geopolitical games. Seeking peace, stability, development and win-win cooperation is the common aspiration of regional countries.
The introduction of the Taiwan question into the regional strategy by the United States, which inflates tensions and stokes confrontation, is against the trend of regional development and goes against the expectations of people in the Asia-Pacific. This is dangerous and stupid.
The one-China principle has become a basic norm governing international relations and an integral part of the post-World War II international order.
What the United States should do is immediately stop violating the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and stop playing the “Taiwan card” to disrupt the Asia-Pacific region.
The United States should not fantasize about distorting facts at will. The U.S. side claimed China is escalating the situation, but the basic facts are that the United States first provoked China on the Taiwan question and blatantly violated China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The U.S. side claimed there was a precedent of the U.S. House speaker visiting Taiwan. Yet the basic truth is past mistakes cannot be used as an excuse to repeat them today.
The U.S. side claimed it cannot restrain the Congress due to the separation of powers. But the basic norm of international law is that the United States must fulfill its international obligations, and key politicians should not misbehave.
It also claimed that China’s pursuit of reunification is a “threat” to Taiwan, but the basic logic is that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory and the Taiwan question is purely an internal affair of China. It is lawful and justified that China upholds territorial integrity and opposes secession.
I want to stress that the one-China principle is the key stabilizing force for peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits, and the three China-U.S. joint communiqués (the 1972 Shanghai Communiqué, the 1979 Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations and the 1982 Communiqué) are the real guardrails for peaceful coexistence between China and the United States.
Clinging to the United States to seek “independence” is a dead end, and attempts to use the Taiwan question to contain China are doomed to failure.
In the face of the great cause of national reunification, the Chinese people have the guts not to be misled by fallacies or scared by evils, the ambition to never be intimidated or crushed, the determination to unite as one and the ability to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and national dignity.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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. This has been clearly recognized by the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 of 1971. Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, 181 countries have established diplomatic relations with China on the basis of the one-China principle. The one-China principle is a universal consensus of the international community and a basic norm in international relations.
In 1979, the United States made a clear commitment in the China-U.S. Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations—”The United States of America recognizes the Government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal government of China. Within this context, the people of the United States will maintain cultural, commercial and other unofficial relations with the people of Taiwan.”
Congress, as a part of the U.S. Government, is inherently obliged to strictly observe the one-China policy of the U.S. Government and refrain from having any official exchanges with China’s Taiwan region. China is all along opposed to the visit to Taiwan by U.S. congressional members, and the U.S. executive branch has the responsibility to stop such visits. Since Speaker Pelosi is the incumbent leader of the U.S. Congress, her visit to and activities in Taiwan, in whatever form and for whatever reason, are a major political provocation to upgrade U.S. official exchanges with Taiwan. China absolutely does not accept this, and the Chinese people absolutely reject this.
The Taiwan question is the most important and most sensitive issue at the very heart of China-U.S. relations. The Taiwan Straits are facing a new round of tensions and severe challenges, and the fundamental cause is the repeated moves by the Taiwan authorities and the United States to change the status quo.
The Taiwan authorities have kept seeking U.S. support for their “independence agenda.” They refuse to recognize the 1992 Consensus (the consensus reached in 1992 by the mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits and the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation; they agreed to state that “the two sides of the Taiwan Straits both stick to the one-China principle”), go all out to push forward “de-sinicization,” and promote “incremental independence.”
The United States, for its part, has been attempting to use Taiwan to contain China. It constantly distorts, obscures and hollows out the one-China principle, steps up its official exchanges with Taiwan, and emboldens “Taiwan independence” separatist activities. These moves, like playing with fire, are extremely dangerous. Those who play with fire will perish by it.
The position of the Chinese Government and people on the Taiwan question has been consistent. It is the firm commitment of the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people to resolutely safeguard state sovereignty and territorial integrity. It is the common aspiration and sacred responsibility of all Chinese sons and daughters to realize the complete reunification of the motherland. The will of the people is not to be defied, and the trend of the times cannot be reversed. No country, no forces and no individual should ever misestimate the firm resolve, strong will and great capability of the Chinese Government and people to defend state sovereignty and territorial integrity and to achieve national reunification and rejuvenation. China will definitely take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity in response to the U.S. House speaker’s visit. All the consequences arising therefrom must be borne by the U.S. side and the “Taiwan independence” separatist forces.
China and the United States are two major countries. The right way for them to deal with each other lies only in mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, no-confrontation and win-win cooperation. The Taiwan question is purely an internal affair of China, and no other country is entitled to act as a judge on the Taiwan question. China strongly urges the United States to stop playing the “Taiwan card” and using Taiwan to contain China. It should stop meddling on Taiwan and interfering in China’s internal affairs. It should stop supporting and conniving at “Taiwan independence” separatist forces in any form. It should stop its acts of saying one thing but doing the opposite on the Taiwan question. It should stop distorting, obscuring and hollowing out the one-China principle. It must take credible actions to observe strictly the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiqués, deliver on the “five noes” commitment made by the U.S. leadership (not seeking a new cold war; not seeking to change China’s system; the revitalization of its alliances is not against China; not supporting “Taiwan independence”; not looking for conflict with China), and not go further down the wrong and dangerous path.
National People’s Congress Standing Committee
The Taiwan question bears on China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. For China, there is zero room for compromise and not an inch to give. The Anti-Secession Law has made clear stipulations on major issues including upholding the one-China principle, deterring separatist moves toward “Taiwan independence” and opposing interference in the Taiwan question by external forces. The stance of the Chinese Government and the Chinese people on the Taiwan question has been consistent. It is the firm will of over 1.4 billion Chinese people to resolutely safeguard China’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Any attempt to obstruct China’s complete reunification and great national rejuvenation is doomed to fail.
Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee
The separatist attempt seeking “Taiwan independence” is the biggest obstacle to the reunification of the motherland, and poses a serious potential danger to China’s national rejuvenation. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities have entrenched themselves in the erroneous position of “Taiwan independence,” served as a tool for anti-China forces in the United States to contain China, and become even more utterly brazen in the provocative attempt to seek “independence.” This is a total misjudgment and miscalculation of the situation.
Out of selfish motives, the DPP authorities have been headstrong in challenging the one-China principle, refused to recognize the 1992 Consensus, ignited cross-Straits confrontation, and clung to U.S. support to seek “independence.” The DPP authorities’ separatist actions and collusion with the United States, which betrays China’s national interests, will only plunge Taiwan into the abyss of disaster, and bring great suffering to Taiwan compatriots.
The reunification of the motherland and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation have become a historical inevitability. China must be and will surely be reunified. This will not change regardless of the will of some die-hard anti-China forces from the U.S. side or the illusion of separatist forces seeking “Taiwan independence.” The time and tide of achieving the reunification of the motherland have always been held firmly in our hands. The fact that Taiwan is part of China will not be changed no matter what actions are taken by the anti-China forces in the United States and by the DPP authorities. The historical process of China’s reunification will not be stopped no matter how Pelosi and her likes attempt to “contain China by supporting Taiwan.”
We urge the U.S. side to stay clear-eyed about the historical ins and outs of the Taiwan question, recognize the fact and the status quo that both sides of the Taiwan Straits belong to one and the same China, strictly abide by the one-China principle with concrete actions, implement the three China-U.S. joint communiqués, and refrain from sliding further down the wrong path.
We urge the DPP authorities to completely give up the separatist schemes seeking “Taiwan independence,” and stop going further down on the doomed path of “Taiwan independence” to the point of no return. Any activity seeking “Taiwan independence” will be smashed by the mighty anti-secession and pro-reunification forces of the Chinese people.
Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference National Committee
Regarding the Taiwan question, the current U.S. administration has on multiple occasions made the commitment to adhere to the one-China policy and not support “Taiwan independence.” However, some recent remarks and actions from the U.S. side are in stark contrast to said commitment. We urge the U.S. side to honor its words, cease any kind of official exchanges with China’s Taiwan region, stop interfering in China’s internal affairs, stop sending any wrong signal to “Taiwan independence” separatist forces, and not to go further down this dangerous path.
Ministry of National Defense
Taiwan’s DPP authorities have solicited foreign support, colluded with external forces to stir up trouble and been bent on inviting Pelosi to visit Taiwan. Such acts are very dangerous and will inevitably lead to serious consequences. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army is on high alert and will undertake a series of targeted military operations in response to resolutely safeguard China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and resolutely thwart the interference by external forces and separatist schemes for “Taiwan independence.”
International Response
“The policy of the United Nations on this issue is that we are guided by the General Assembly Resolution 2758 from 1971 on [the] one-China [principle].”
—Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary General António Guterres
“The Shanghai Cooperation Organization adheres to the one-China principle, firmly opposes interference in the internal affairs of its member states by any external force, supports all member states in safeguarding national unity and defending their own sovereignty and territorial integrity, and will continue to promote further cooperation among member states in this regard to ensure peace, security and stability in the region.”
—Zhang Ming, Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
“Pakistan reaffirms its strong commitment to the one-China policy and firmly supports China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity… Pakistan strongly believes that interstate relations should be based on mutual respect, non-interference in internal affairs, and a peaceful resolution of issues by upholding the principles of the UN Charter, international law and bilateral agreements.”
—Foreign Ministry of Pakistan
“We believe relations between both sides of the Taiwan Straits are exclusively China’s domestic affair. The Chinese side is entitled to take any measures necessary to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
—Foreign Ministry of Russia
–The Daily Mail-Beijing review news exchange item
