Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry on Monday condemned a statement from its Chinese counterpart that the island nation is part of China and that cross-strait issues are an internal affair.
U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (王毅) in Bangkok, Thailand on January 26 to 27. Cross-strait issues were included among the items discussed by the two officials. Sullivan reiterated that the U.S. is committed to its One China policy guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three Communiqués, and Six Assurances. Sullivan also stressed that while the U.S. does not support Taiwan independence, it opposes unilateral changes to the status quo from either side and expects cross-Strait differences to be resolved peacefully.
China’s Foreign Ministry issued a press release after the meeting stating that the Taiwan issue is an internal affair given that Taiwan is a part of China. It said that Taiwan’s recent elections do not change this basic fact and further added that Taiwan independence is the biggest challenge to China-U.S. relations and is also the biggest threat to the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry strongly refuted China’s claim and emphasized that Taiwan, the Republic of China, is a sovereign and independent country and is not affiliated with the People's Republic of China. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Jeff Liu (劉永健) said that regardless of how the Chinese government distorts reality, it cannot change the objective fact of Taiwan’s sovereignty.
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry also said that it welcomed Sullivan’s remarks on the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. It added that Taiwan will continue to cooperate closely with the United States and other countries with similar ideals to jointly safeguard the shared values of democracy, freedom, and peace across the region.