China urges US to handle Taiwan question prudently, properly

BEIJING - A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Monday urged the United States to handle the Taiwan question in a prudent and proper manner, to avoid doing damage to China-US relations and to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

Spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the comments in response to a query regarding recent remarks from the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who said the United States has commitments under the so-called "Taiwan Relations Act" to ensure that Taiwan has the ability to defend itself.

Voicing China's firm opposition to the United States' wrong words and actions, Zhao said that over the past 40 years or so, the US statements on the Taiwan question have lost shape, turned sour and retrogressed, running counter to the consensus reached between the United States and China upon the establishment of diplomatic relations.

The United States should abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques, Zhao said, adding that they constitute the important political consensus between the two countries, as well as the political foundation for the bilateral ties.

He went on to point out that both the so-called "Taiwan Relations Act" and the "Six Assurances" were concocted by some forces in the United States. "They contravene the three China-US joint communiques. In essence, they place US domestic law above international obligations and are illegal and invalid."

Zhao said that, for some time now, the Democratic Progressive Party authorities in Taiwan and the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces have been pursuing "de-sinicization", trying to create "one China, one Taiwan" or "two Chinas", and engaging in provocative activities to seek independence in collusion with external forces.

"This is the biggest threat to peace and stability and the root cause of the current tension across the Taiwan Strait," Zhao said.

"I want to stress that China's reunification is an unstoppable historical trend and upholding the one-China principle is a universal consensus of the international community," Zhao said, urging the United States to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques, and handle the Taiwan question in a prudent and proper manner, lest it should undermine China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

In response to a query regarding recent media reports about the political military discussions and an annual defense review to be held between the United States and Taiwan later this week, Zhao said the Taiwan question bears on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and concerns China's core interests, and it is the most important and sensitive issue in China-US relations.

"The US side should earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-US joint communiques, prudently and properly handle Taiwan-related issues, and immediately stop official exchanges and military contacts with Taiwan in any form," he added.