Beijing fumes over new foreign visit to Taiwan — RT World News
Canadian lawmakers trip to Taipei ‘grossly interfered’ in China’s internal affairs, Beijing says
The Chinese government has condemned a recent visit to Taiwan by Canadian MPs, demanding that Ottawa cease direct diplomatic relations with the island and respect its territorial claims.
In a statement to The Globe and Mail on Thursday, the Chinese Embassy in Canada denounced a trip to Taiwan by Liberal lawmaker Judy Sgro and other members of the « Canada-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group, » which began on Sunday. last.
« China has consistently and firmly opposed any form of official exchanges between the Taiwan region and countries having diplomatic relations with China, » he said, adding that the visit « flagrantly violates the one-China principle, grossly interferes in China’s internal affairs, and sends a seriously wrong signal to the separatist forces of ‘Taiwan independence.
After conferring the Special Medal of Diplomacy on the President @JudySgroMPMinister Wu hosted a banquet for #Canada🇨🇦-#Taiwan🇹🇼 Delegation of the Parliamentary Friendship Group. We are grateful for the support of like-minded legislators and feel truly blessed to call them our friends! pic.twitter.com/Snvw8gpB3Q
— 外交部 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ROC (Taiwan) 🇹🇼 (@MOFA_Taiwan) October 12, 2022
Sgro was joined by fellow Liberal Angelo Iacono, as well as Conservative MPs Richard Martel and Chris Lewis, and Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay of the Bloc Québécois party, who said they traveled to Taiwan as a show of solidarity.
The embassy added that Beijing views the island as a « inalienable part of Chinese territory », and that the recognition of his territorial claim constitutes the « Political basis on which China develops its relations with other countries, including Canada. »
Although the statement does not mention any reprisals against Ottawa, it reiterates that « China will continue to take resolute and strong measures to defend its national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and oppose interference by external forces in China’s internal affairs. »
Sgro is the latest foreign official to lead a delegation to Taiwan in recent months, with U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stoking Beijing’s anger with a high-profile visit in August, prompting unprecedented Chinese military exercises near of the island while skyrocketing regional tensions.
Other US officials have since traveled to Taipei to meet their Taiwanese counterparts – including as recently as this week – while Germany sent six lawmakers from the Bundestag on a five-day visit earlier this month.
Taiwan, which officially refers to itself as the « Republic of China », has been self-governing since 1949, although it never gained independence from the mainland and few countries recognize it as a sovereign nation. Beijing considers the island part of its territory under the One China Policy, and although the People’s Republic has repeatedly declared its intention to reunite peacefully with Taiwan, it has not ruled out a military solution to the problem.
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