Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi File photo:VCG

The Indian side is supposed to recognize, be alarmed about and resist the Taiwan authorities' political calculations, and refrain from doing things that violate the one-China principle, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Thursday, after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was looking forward to having closer ties with the Taiwan region.

Modi made the remarks on Wednesday after Taiwan's regional leader Lai Ching-te congratulated Modi on his election win. Modi claimed victory in the country's parliamentary elections on Tuesday, securing a third term, albeit with a narrower majority.

India has diplomatic relations with China, and China opposes all forms of official interaction between the Taiwan authorities and countries that have diplomatic relations with China. This position is very clear and India knows this well. India has also made serious political commitments to the one-China principle, Mao said.

When commenting on Modi's remarks, Mao said that there is but one China in the world. Taiwan is an inalienable part of the territory of the People's Republic of China, and the one-China principle is a universally recognized norm in international relations and a prevailing consensus in the international community.

Chinese experts noted that Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) failed to secure an outright majority in the election, so it will be hard for the prime minister to push for economic reform. This means Modi may resort to playing the nationalism card, they said.

Global Times