China took issue with remarks made in two American media publications on Monday by the “Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States” official. China reaffirmed that its sovereignty and territorial integrity are at stake in the Taiwan dispute, not democracy.
The “Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States” official used the “democracy versus authoritarianism” concept to explain Taiwan’s election results in recent USA Today articles and an AP interview. They emphasized Taiwan’s goal to fortify security and economic connections with the US while claiming to uphold the “status quo” across the Taiwan Straits.
On its website, the Chinese Embassy in the US released a statement denouncing these comments as false and deceptive. The spokesperson said that “Taiwan independence” advocates want to hide their purpose of dividing the nation, excuse separatist actions, and incite conflict across the Straits by using “democracy” as a pretext.
The spokesman stressed that the People’s Republic of China is the only legitimate government that represents the whole nation and that Taiwan is an essential component of Chinese territory. They said that the one-China principle is an internationally accepted standard in international relations and that Taiwan’s return to China is a component of the post-World War II world order.
The spokesperson claimed that China’s determination to achieve reunification will not be deterred by the outcome of the Taiwanese election and that it will not change the dynamics of cross-Straits ties. Citing the party program of the Democratic Progressive Party as a major contributing cause, they placed the blame for the recent cross-Straits tensions on the “Taiwan independence” forces and outside partners.
The spokesman issued a warning, saying that anyone who supported “Taiwan independence” would face harsh consequences from history and the law and that anyone who opposed the one-China principle would be opposed by both the Chinese people and the international community for interfering in China’s internal affairs and violating its sovereignty.
