On 2 Aug, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi visited China’s Taiwan region, in disregard of China’s strong opposition and serious representations. This is a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. Joint communiques. It has a severe impact on the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and seriously infringes upon China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. It gravely undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and sends a seriously wrong signal to the separatist force for “Taiwan independence”.

The Taiwan Strait is 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, refused to recognize the 1992 Consensus that embodies the one-China principle, and promoted “de-sinicization” in an attempt to realize “incremental independence”. The U.S. side, in an effort to use Taiwan to contain China, has continued to step up official interactions with Taiwan, supported Taiwan in developing “asymmetric capabilities”, and spread the idea that “the status of Taiwan is undetemined”, thus emboldening “Taiwan independence” separatist activities.

The position of the Chinese Government and people on the Taiwan question has been consistent. No countries, 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 take necessary measures in response to the U.S. Speaker’s visit. All consequences must be borne by the U.S. side and the “Taiwan independence” separatist forces.

There is but on 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 United Nations 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. The Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affair. We hope all countries will pursue an independant foreign policy, abide by the one-China principle, be prudent in words and actions relating to the Taiwan question, not cooperate with a certain country’s wrong strategy of using Taiwan to contain China and avoid sending wrong signals to the “Taiwan independence” forces.

       Spokesperson of the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Christchurch