Tsai sells out island for pro-independence push: China Daily editorial

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has called on the United States not to go any further down the wrong and dangerous path of exploiting the Taiwan question, earnestly urging it to adhere to the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiques, and to act on the US leader's assurances that the US does not support "Taiwan independence" and does not support "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan".

The one-China principle is a consensus of the international community and a basic norm in international relations. In the three joint communiques, the US upheld that consensus and made unequivocal commitments to have only nonofficial relations with Taiwan. US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's meeting with Taiwan regional leader Tsai Ing-wen in Los Angeles on Wednesday, local time, was therefore a blatantly provocative move.

In essence, as the Foreign Ministry said, it was a collusion between the third-highest ranking official in the US with the separatist Taiwan authorities, who together connived to engage in interaction to create the false impression that there is one China and one Taiwan.

Both the US and Taiwan will have to shoulder the consequences for their reckless move as the central authorities have vowed to take resolute and effective measures to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Despite repeated warnings from Beijing that "Taiwan independence" is nothing but a dead end, Tsai and her pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party have been more than willing to serve as a pawn in the US' "Indo-Pacific" strategy in exchange for the support of the China hawks in Washington in fostering the illusion of the island's de facto independence.

Since taking office, Tsai has not only refused to recognize the 1992 Consensus, which embodies the one-China principle, but also endeavored to push forward incremental "independence" by such means.

Under Tsai and the DPP, Taiwan has thus become a popular port of call for US politicians for whom a resurgent China is anathema.

But such support is superficial. During his meeting with Tsai, McCarthy said the US must continue arms sales to Taiwan. Tsai would be a fool if she feels reassured by such a statement as the US intention is crystal clear: it is turning the Chinese island into a powder keg and pushing it onto the forefront of Washington's confrontation with Beijing. The China hawks will support the island to its ruin.

Both Tsai and her foreign colluders should take Beijing's firm will to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity seriously. Any attempt to sabotage the reunification cause will fail. The future of Taiwan lies in reunification, and the well-being of Taiwan compatriots hinges on the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.