Political changes in Taiwan won’t affect one-China principle, says Beijing

ISTANBUL

Beijing on Monday reiterated that Taiwan is an “inalienable part” of China, saying that political changes there will not affect the one-China principle.

“Taiwan is not a country. It has always been an inalienable part of China. The international community has long reached the conclusion on this matter. This is a vital component of the post-WWII international order,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said.

Wang’s remarks came after William Lai of the Democratic Progressive Party began his term as Taiwan's eighth president after taking the oath of office on Monday, succeeding the island’s only woman chief executive, Tsai Ing-wen.

Noting that the number of countries recognizing the one-China principle has risen from over 60 to 183, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson said: “The one-China principle is not just a universal consensus, but also a basic norm in international relations."

“Taiwan independence’ is a dead end,” Wang told reporters in Beijing, according to the ministry.

Wang said interfering in China’s “internal affairs and supporting Taiwan independence separatists will achieve nothing.”

“Whatever political change takes place in Taiwan, it won’t change the fact that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one and the same China, the world’s abiding commitment to the one-China principle, and still less the trend toward China’s reunification that no one can stop,” he said.