China's NPC opposes Czech senate's invitation to Taiwan official

BEIJING -- The National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, on Thursday said it firmly opposes the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic inviting the head of the foreign affairs department of the Taiwan authorities to visit the country.

The NPC Foreign Affairs Committee said in a statement that the Czech Senate's invitation to the Taiwan official is a serious violation of the one-China principle and gross interference in China's internal affairs. "The NPC of China firmly opposes this," said the statement.

Adhering to the one-China principle is the political foundation of bilateral relations between China and all countries which have diplomatic ties with China, the statement said.

The Czech Senate and other institutions as well as certain individuals blatantly provided a platform for "Taiwan independence" separatist activities. This action violated the political commitments made by the Czech side to China and severely damaged the political foundation of China-Czech relations, said the statement. "The move is extremely bad in nature," it said.

The statement stressed that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, and the Taiwan question is purely China's internal affairs. It said the Anti-Secession Law provides clear provisions on major issues such as adhering to the one-China principle, curbing "Taiwan independence" secession, and opposing external forces' interference in the Taiwan question. The provisions embody China's consistent proposition of doing its utmost to strive for the peaceful reunification of the motherland, and fully demonstrate China's determination to firmly defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the country's will of never allowing any force to separate Taiwan from China in any name or in any way.

"Those who engage in political manipulation on the Taiwan question will end up swallowing the bitter fruit themselves," said the statement.

"We urge relevant Czech institutions and individuals to abide by the one-China principle, stop interfering in China's internal affairs, and take concrete actions to safeguard China-Czech relations," it said.