Beijing has warned Taiwan of danger over independence drive

Beijing has warned Taiwan that its pursuit of independence could be dangerous. This was stated by Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui in an article for RIA Novosti on January 3.

He specified that the independence claims put forward by Taiwan's chief of staff Lai Qingde are absurd and "seriously aggravate tensions between the coasts." The ambassador also said such actions "undermine" stability and peace in the Taiwan Strait.

"Lai Qingde's so-called new two-state theory is nothing but 'old wine poured into a new bottle,' represents his stubborn separatist stance on 'Taiwan independence.'" "This theory 'empties' the content of the concept of a unified China, which is highly deceptive," Hanhui pointed out.

The ambassador added that the Taiwanese government is trying to bring the issue into the international arena to "lean on outside forces."

"Taiwan is an integral part of China's territory. This is both a historical fact and the actual status quo," Hanhui reported.

He noted that legally and historically, Taiwan is part of China and "has never been a country." The ambassador also said that Lai Qingde is ignoring the facts by pushing the idea of the island's independence.

Hanhui also added that the U.S. should stop playing the "Taiwan card" because when Washington clashes with China, it will not be able to handle the power that Beijing has at its disposal. This, according to the ambassador, will lead to "self-immolation" of the US.

Earlier, on December 22, the Foreign Ministry of the ROC reported that China expresses strong dissatisfaction with US military aid to Taiwan and calls on Washington to stop carrying out dangerous actions that undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said on November 24 that the United States is using Taiwan to foment conflict in Asia in order to realize its interests. The diplomat noted that the situation in Taiwan is within the exclusive competence of the People's Republic of China. However, Washington is strengthening military-political contacts with Taipei in violation of the "one China" principle it recognizes.

The escalation of the conflict between China and Taiwan occurred after the visit to the island of former Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi in August 2022. The Chinese side considers Taiwan to be its own territory, so it views visits to the island by officials from other countries as support for Taiwan's independence.

Official relations between the PRC government and its island province broke down in 1949 when the Kuomintang forces led by Chiang Kai-shek, who lost in a civil war with the Communist Party of China, moved to Taiwan. Contacts between the island and mainland China resumed in the late 1980s. The U.S. openly supports the Taiwanese authorities.