Chen Bo (front), Chinese ambassador to Serbia, speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony for a new expressway near the town of Lajkovac, Serbia, on June 17, 2020. Chinese construction company Shandong Hi-Speed started the construction of an expressway in western Serbia on Wednesday at a groundbreaking ceremony attended by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. (Photo by Nemanja Cabric/Xinhua)

After the Czech senate speaker's controversial visit to Taiwan, the diplomatic principal officer of the separatist Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities on the island of Taiwan, who published an article in Serbia hyping up secessionism, was met with a backlash, as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia said that the country has always supported the one-China principle, and denounced the article as running totally counter to Serbia's national policy.

The Chinese Embassy in Serbia also in a statement condemned that the article as undermining China's sovereignty and going against international consensus, while commending the Serbian government for resolutely adhering to the one-China principle and resolutely opposing "Taiwan secession."

The Serbian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on its website on Tuesday that it does not recognize the statehood of Taiwan, believes that it is an inalienable part of China and that the central government in Beijing is the only legitimate government representing the entire Chinese people.

The ministry denounced the article, saying it damaged the reputation of Serbia and its diplomatic stance.

The ministry stressed that Serbia and China have maintained sound political relations and all-round cooperation, and bilateral relations have been upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

The announcement came after Joseph Wu Jaushieh, principal officer of the foreign affairs department of DDP authorities in the Taiwan region, on Tuesday published an article in Serbian media spreading "Taiwan secession" and advocating "Taiwan joining the United Nations (UN) and the World Health Organization (WHO)."

In response to the article, the Chinese Embassy in Serbia on Wednesday released a statement saying that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, which is a fact that no one or force can change.

The United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 explicitly recognizes that the government of the People's Republic of China is the only legitimate government representing the entire Chinese people.

The Chinese embassy said that there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is part of China. The issue that "Taiwan joining the UN" doesn't exist, said the embassy, noting that the WHO is a specialized agency of the UN composed of sovereign states and should abide by the resolutions of the UN General Assembly with regard to the Taiwan question.

The statement condemned the Taiwan secessionists for concocting various excuses to politicize the issue of epidemic prevention in an attempt to use the epidemic to challenge the one-China principle in the international community. 

It said that China highly appreciates the Serbian government's firm adherence to the one-China principle and resolute opposition to "Taiwan secession." We also firmly believe that the upright and friendly Serbian people will, as always, support the Chinese people in safeguarding sovereignty and territorial integrity, said the embassy.　

Ignoring the opposition of China and the Czech government, Czech Senate Speaker Milos Vystrcil insisted on visiting the island of Taiwan, instigating secessionist forces, a blatant provocation that "crossed the line," Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at a press conference with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas.

Global Times