Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin Photo: VCG

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Wednesday urged the US to abide by the one-China principle, stop any form of official exchanges between the US and China's Taiwan region and stop creating new factors of tension across the Taiwan Straits, in response to the recent US senior officials' meeting with members of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities.     

Joseph Wu, head of the Taiwan authorities' "external affairs" authority, held closed-door talks on Tuesday in Washington with senior US officials including Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and Daniel Kritenbrink, the State Department's top diplomat for East Asia, according to media reports.

The root cause of escalating tensions in the Taiwan Straits lies in the DPP authorities' repeated attempts to seek "independence" by relying on the US, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at Wednesday's press briefing.

Some people in the US intend to use Taiwan island to contain China… We urge the US to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques and fully implement the US leader's commitment that the US does not support "Taiwan independence," Wang noted.

"We urge the US to stop any form of official interactions between the US and Taiwan region, stop meddling in the Taiwan question, and stop creating new factors of tension across the Taiwan Straits," the spokesperson remarked. 

The US and Taiwan island have engaged in more collusion that challenges the one-China principle, such as stepping up arms sales and more island visits from US politicians. 

Commenting on the recent Taiwan visit made by Michael Chase, deputy assistant secretary of defense for China, Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office said on Wednesday that the DPP authorities will not succeed in colluding with external forces to seek "independence." She also urged the US to stop playing the Taiwan card to contain China.

Zhu said that for their own interests, the anti-China forces in the US have connived and supported "Taiwan independence" separatist forces to take risks and provoke tensions across the Taiwan Straits, with the purpose of containing China's development and progress through the Taiwan question. 

The DPP authorities' attempt to seek "independence" by relying on the US will only harm Taiwan and bring disaster to Taiwan compatriots, Zhu stressed. 

On February 18, Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, took a question on the Taiwan question after delivering a keynote speech at the 59th Munich Security Conference in Germany.

Wang said that "Taiwan independence" separatist activities and peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits are as irreconcilable as water and fire. To safeguard peace across the Taiwan Straits, we must resolutely oppose "Taiwan independence," and firmly stay committed to the one-China principle. 



Global Times