BEIJING: China deplored and has lodged strong protests to the US over arranging for Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te’s “stopovers” in Hawaii and Guam and having official interactions with the Taiwan region, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a press conference on Friday, urging the US to adhere to one-China principle and stop sending seriously wrong signals to the “Taiwan independence” separatist forces.
By arranging for Lai’s “stopovers” in Hawaii and Guam, having official interactions with the Taiwan region, helping Taiwan expand so-called “international space,” and providing platforms for “Taiwan independence” separatist activities, the US gravely violated the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués. The actions it took undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and send a severely wrong signal to “Taiwan independence” separatist forces, Lin said at a press conference on Friday.
Taiwan regional Leader Lai Ching-te has reportedly concluded his “stopovers” in Hawaii and Guam of the US and is scheduled to return to the island on Friday, according to Taiwan media.
Lin said the Taiwan question is the first red line that must not be crossed in China-US relations. “Taiwan independence” separatist activities are as incompatible with peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits as fire with water. China urges the US to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, act on the US leaders’ commitment, including not supporting “Taiwan independence,” stop its official interactions with Taiwan, stop obscuring and hollowing out the one-China principle, stop abetting and aiding the separatist forces and their activities in any form, and take concrete actions to stabilize China-US relations and contribute to peace in the Taiwan Straits, said Lin.
“Let me stress that attempts to solicit US support for ‘Taiwan independence’ or use the Taiwan question to contain China will lead nowhere. No one should underestimate the firm resolve, will and ability of the Chinese government and people to safeguard sovereignty and territorial integrity,” said Lin.
Also on the same day, Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said Lai’s actions once again prove that the so-called “stopover” is merely an excuse, and in reality, it is a political maneuver by the DPP authorities to “rely on the US to seek ‘independence’” and by the US side to “use Taiwan island to contain China.”
Zhu warned the DPP authorities that relying on the US for “Taiwan independence” and pursuing military means for “Taiwan independence” agenda is a dead end, and is doomed to failure.
The real purpose of Lai’s “stopover” in Hawaii and Guam, which are not essential to the travel route for countries in the South Pacific, is to advance the “Taiwan independence” agenda by seeking more US support, Zheng Jian, a professor at the Taiwan Research Institute of Xiamen University, told the Global Times on Friday. –The Daily Mail-Global Times news exchange item
