Spokesperson of Chinese Embassy in U.S. makes remarks on Tsai Ing-wen's "transit" and meeting with U.S. House Speaker

The spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in the United States Wednesday delivered remarks regarding Tsai Ing-wen's "transit" in the United States and her meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

In disregard of China's repeated solemn demarches and warnings, the US side has insisted on arranging for Tsai Ing-wen to "transit" in the United States and meet with House Speaker McCarthy as well as bipartisan members of the Congress. This has blatantly violated the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques, violated the US government's commitments on the Taiwan question, and sent a serious wrong signal to the "Taiwan independence" forces. China expresses strong protest and firm opposition, and will respond resolutely to the wrong move by the US side, the spokesperson noted.

The Taiwan question is at the core of China's core interests, the bedrock of the political foundation of China-US relations, and the first red line that should never be crossed in this bilateral relationship, said the spokesperson, adding that the Congress, as a part of the US government, is obligated to strictly abide by the foreign policy that the latter has adopted and committed to.

House Speaker McCarthy is the third highest-ranking official in the US government. His meeting with Tsai Ing-wen on the US territory is a grave mistake that elevates the official interactions and substantive relationship between the United States and Taiwan, said the spokesperson, noting that using the Taiwan question for a show with political purposes, the US politicians concerned have acted highly irresponsibly and turned themselves into problem-makers for China-US relationship and the situation at the Taiwan Strait.

The historical ins and outs of the Taiwan question are all clear, and so are the facts and status quo that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one and the same China, said the spokesperson.

While declaring its commitment to the one-China policy and not supporting "Taiwan independence" or "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan," and not seeking to use the Taiwan question as a tool to contain China, the US side has continued to fudge and hollow out the one-China principle, stepped up official interactions with Taiwan, carried on arms sales and deepened military connections with Taiwan, the spokesperson continued.

The United States has been helping Taiwan expand its so-called "international space," deliberately distorting the nature of the Taiwan question of being purely China's internal matter. It has co-opted other countries into meddling with the Taiwan question, hammered out Taiwan-related bills infringing on China's sovereignty, and emboldened "Taiwan independence" separatist forces in bringing tension and volatility to cross-Strait relations. While doing all these, the US side has accused the mainland of "coercion", "pressurizing Taiwan" and "unilaterally changing the status quo." By so doing, the US side is emboldening the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces and obstructing China's efforts toward peaceful reunification, said the spokesperson.

Tsai Ing-wen's "transit" is not so much a "transit," but an attempt to seek breakthroughs and propagate "Taiwan independence." Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities have adopted a separatist stance, and colluded with the US side in taking successive provocative moves designed to divide China. Such moves have strained cross-Strait relations, endangered peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and undermined the prospects and space for peaceful reunification. These have become major obstacles to advancing the process of peaceful reunification, the spokesperson continued.

China urges the US side to abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiques, honor the promises that US President Joe Biden has made on multiple occasions, stop upgrading its substantive relationship with Taiwan, stop all forms of official interaction with Taiwan, and stop fudging and hollowing out the one-China principle, said the spokesperson.

China's complete reunification is a process that cannot be halted. Those seeking the US support for "Taiwan independence" will be discarded by history. Those seeking to use Taiwan to contain China will find that they stir up the fire only to burn themselves. No individual should underestimate China's strong determination, firm will, and great capability to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, said the spokesperson.