Spokesperson of the Chinese Mission Liu Yuyin Stated China’s Solemn Position Regarding US House Speaker Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan
2022-08-04 17:52

In disregard of China's solemn representations, the US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi brazenly went ahead with her visit to China's Taiwan region. This is a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiqués. It has a severe impact on the political foundation of China-US relations, and seriously infringes upon China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. It gravely undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and sends a seriously wrong signal to the separatist forces for “Taiwan independence”. China firmly opposes and sternly condemns this.

There is but one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, and the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. This is at the core of the one-China principle and also a universal consensus of the international community and a basic norm in international relations. In October 1971, the 26th Session of the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 2758, which “decides to restore all its rights to the People’s Republic of China and to recognize the representatives of its Government as the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations, and to expel forthwith the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek from the place which they unlawfully occupy at the United Nations and in all the organizations related to it.” A total of 181 countries, including the US, have established diplomatic ties with China on the basis of the one-China principle. 

The one-China principle is the centerpiece of the three Sino-US joint communiqués, and the premise and foundation for the establishment and development of diplomatic relations between China and the US. In 1979, the United States made a clear commitment in the China-US Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations — “The United States of America recognizes the Government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal Government of China. Within this context, the people of the United States will maintain cultural, commercial, and other unofficial relations with the people of Taiwan.” Congress, as a part of the US Government, is inherently obliged to strictly observe the one-China policy of the US Government and refrain from having any official exchanges with China’s Taiwan region. China is all along opposed to the visit to Taiwan by US congressional members, and the US executive branch has the responsibility to stop such visit. Since Speaker Pelosi is the incumbent leader of the US Congress, her visit to and activities in Taiwan, in whatever form and for whatever reason, is a major political provocation to upgrade US official exchanges with Taiwan. China absolutely does not accept this, and the Chinese people absolutely reject this.

Right now, the Taiwan Strait is facing a new round of tension and serious challenges. The fundamental reason lies in the repeated efforts of the Taiwan authorities and the US side to change the status quo. The Taiwan authorities have kept seeking US support for their independence agenda, refused to recognize the 1992 Consensus that embodies the one-China principle, and promoted “de-sinicization” in an attempt to realize “incremental independence”. The US side, in an effort to use Taiwan to contain China, has continued to distort, obscure and hollow out the one-China principle, stepped up official interactions with Taiwan, supported Taiwan in developing “asymmetric capabilities”, thus emboldening “Taiwan independence” separatist activities. In the face of these moves, China has to make legitimate and necessary responses.

The position of the Chinese government and Chinese people on the Taiwan question is consistent. Resolutely safeguarding China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is the firm will of the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people. To achieve China’s full reunification is the shared aspiration and sacred duty of all Chinese people. Public opinion will not be defied, and the trend of the times cannot be reversed. No country, force or individual shall misestimate the firm resolve, strong will and great capability of the Chinese Government and people to defend state sovereignty and territorial integrity and to achieve national reunification and rejuvenation.