China must be unified with ‘wanderer’ Taiwan, says foreign minister

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – Taiwan is not a chess piece to be used by others, Beijing’s top diplomat said on Monday, emphasizing the need for China to be reunified with the island territory it claims as a “breakaway province.”

“Taiwan is a wanderer who will eventually go home, not a chess piece that is used by others. China must be unified,” Wang Yi, China’s state counsellor and foreign minister, told an international symposium on Chinese diplomacy in Beijing.

“There is a new round of tension in the Taiwan Strait. The crux of the problem is that the Taiwan authorities are trying to rely on the United States for independence and the United States and individual countries intend to use Taiwan to control China.”

He said the “connotation of the One China principle is in danger of being falsified or even hollowed out,” according to a statement released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

“It is these perverse acts that have changed the status quo across the Taiwan Strait, undermined the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait, and violated the consensus of the international community and the basic norms of international relations,” said Wang.

Tensions have spiked this year in the Taiwan Strait, which separates mainland China from Taiwan, amid increased interaction between Taipei and the US and its allies.

Beijing has sent a record number of warplanes across the strait as part of moves to thwart challenges to its sovereignty.

“We issued a solemn warning and carried out a vigorous countermeasure, which shocked the arrogance of the ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces,” Wang said.

“We will resolutely fight against any threats and challenges that endanger China’s sovereignty, security and development interests; we will resolutely fight back against any malicious acts that interfere in our internal affairs and wantonly spread rumors and smear.”

On China’s resumption of diplomatic relations with Nicaragua, he said Beijing now has diplomatic ties with 181 countries across the globe. ​​​​​​​