On 2 August, in disregard of China’s strong opposition and serious representations, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi visited China’s Taiwan region. This is a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiqués. It has a severe impact on the political foundation of China-U.S. 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.
Concerning Nancy Pelosi’s visit, the Spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in the Netherlands makes the following 5 remarks:
1. Pelosi’s visit is a serious violation of the three China-U.S. joint communiqués. The U.S. has gone back on its own commitments on the Taiwan question.
In 1979, the United States made a clear commitment in the China-U.S. 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 U.S. Government, is inherently obliged to strictly observe the one-China policy of the U.S. Government and refrain from having any official exchanges with China’s Taiwan region. Speaker Pelosi is the incumbent leader of the U.S. Congress, and the third-highest ranking figure in the US government, her visit to and activities in Taiwan, in whatever form and for whatever reason, is a major political provocation to upgrade U.S. official exchanges with Taiwan. The U.S. side's act in bad faith on the Taiwan question is despicable and will only further bankrupt its national credibility.
2. The repeated moves by the Taiwan authorities and the United States to change the status quo is the fundamental cause of the new round of tensions over the Taiwan Strait.
The Taiwan question is the most important and most sensitive issue at the very heart of China-U.S. relations. The Taiwan Strait is facing a new round of tensions and severe challenges, and the fundamental cause is the repeated moves by the Taiwan authorities and the United States to change the status quo. The Taiwan authorities have kept seeking U.S. support for their independence agenda. They refuse to recognize the 1992 Consensus, go all out to push forward “de-sinicization”, and promote “incremental independence”. The United States, for its part, has been attempting to use Taiwan to contain China. It constantly steps up its official exchanges with Taiwan, increases military collusion with Taiwan and sells weapons to Taiwan, emboldening “Taiwan independence” separatist activities. These moves, like playing with fire, are extremely dangerous. Those who play with fire will perish by it.
The US and Taiwan have made provocations together first, whereas China has been compelled to react in self-defense. China will definitely take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity in response to the U.S. Speaker’s visit. All the consequences arising therefrom must be borne by the U.S. side and the “Taiwan independence” separatist forces.
3. The one-China principle is a consensus of the international community and a basic norm in international relations.
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 has been clearly recognized by United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 of 1971. Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, 181 countries have established diplomatic relations with China on the basis of the one-China principle. The one-China principle is a universally-recognized norm of international relations and consensus of the international community. It is also the political foundation of bilateral relations between China and other countries including the Netherlands.
4. So-called “Safeguarding Democracy” is a totally distorting disguise，which emboldens Taiwan separatists.
The issue of Pelosi’s visit is not about upholding or defending democracy, but a provocation and infringement on China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Since Chiang Kai-shek retreated to Taiwan in 1949, the island has been viewed by the US as an unsinkable aircraft carrier to contain China. That Taiwan becoming the so-called democracy model was a very recent narrative by some western politicians. Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan is all about making personal political gains. This is a sad story for the US democracy that allows Pelosi to put her personal agenda ahead of national interest, staging this grandstanding act and political farce at the expense of the China-US relationship and the peace and stability in the region.
5. It is lawful and justified that China upholds territorial integrity and opposes secession.
The US and Taiwan have made provocations together first, whereas China has been compelled to react in self-defense. Any countermeasure to be taken by China would be a justified and necessary response to the US oblivion to China’s repeated démarches and the US’s unscrupulous behavior. And China is only exercising its right as any independent sovereign country would.
The Taiwan question bears on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. For China, there is zero room for compromise and not an inch to give. The Anti-Secession Law has made clear stipulations on major issues including upholding the one-China principle, deterring separatist moves toward "Taiwan independence" and opposing interference in the Taiwan question by external forces. The stance of the Chinese government and the Chinese people on the Taiwan question has been consistent. It is the firm will of over 1.4 billion Chinese people to resolutely safeguard China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Any attempt to obstruct China's complete reunification and great national rejuvenation is doomed to fail.