Ahead of a “inauguration” in the Taiwan area on Monday, the Chinese embassy in the UK reaffirmed Beijing’s position and encouraged the British side to respect the one-China concept.
Minister Yang Xiaoguang stated at a news briefing at the embassy in London on Friday, “We urge the UK government to abide by the one-China principle, not to send anyone to Taiwan for the so-called inauguration ceremony, not to allow relevant personnel from Taiwan to visit the UK, and not to have any official contact with Taiwan in any way.”
Yang informed the media that although Taiwan had been lost and regained twice in history—first due to Dutch colonization in the 17th century and then to Japanese occupation during World War II—the island had always been an unalienable part of China.
“The ongoing civil war in China and outside interference have resulted in a lengthy political standoff between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait since 1949. But China’s territory and sovereignty have never been partitioned and never will be,” Yang asserted.
In their 1972 joint communique, China and the UK acknowledged Taiwan as a province of the People’s Republic of China and acknowledged the PRC government as the sole legal government of China.
“We must never lose sight of this chapter in history. The Taiwan dispute is a significant philosophical issue. Yang stated that the “inauguration’s” goals are to increase Taiwan’s “international space,” undermine links between key nations and China, and support separatist efforts in Taiwan. “The UK must uphold the principle and abide by its own commitment,” Yang stated.
Yang noted that Lai Ching-te was congratulated by UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron in January after what was deemed to be his victory in Taiwan’s leadership elections. “We firmly oppose the wrong remarks and actions by British politicians,” Yang stated. It is imperative to emphasize that the Taiwan issue is solely a domestic matter for China. We believe that any political party holding power in Taiwan must uphold the 1992 Consensus and reject Taiwan independence. Furthermore, we believe that in order to further national renewal and reunion, fellow citizens on both sides should work together.”
