2024-01-14 10:05:35
The Chinese government has officially complained to the US about Washington’s statement on the elections in Taiwan. The US was violating its own commitment to only maintain cultural and trade relations or other unofficial exchanges with Taiwan, the Foreign Ministry said in Beijing on Sunday. That’s why there is also irritation with Japan.
The US statement was “a wrong signal to the separatist forces” in Taiwan. The Taiwan issue is at the center of China’s core interests and represents the “first red line” that must not be crossed in relations between China and the USA.
The US State Department sent congratulations on Saturday following the victory of Lai Ching-te (William Lai) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in the presidential election. The U.S. State Department said it looks forward to working with Lai and leaders of all parties in Taiwan to advance shared interests and values and advance the long-standing unofficial relationship. The USA is a close ally of Taiwan and had promised defense help in the event of a conflict with China.
It was also announced on Sunday that an informal US delegation was expected to visit Taiwan in the evening. As in previous elections, the U.S. government asked former U.S. government officials to come to Taiwan privately, according to the American Institute in Taiwan, the unofficial U.S. mission in Taipei. Accordingly, former National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley and former Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg set off. Meetings with leading politicians are planned for Monday.
Lai won the election on Saturday with around 40 percent of the vote. However, his party lost its absolute majority in parliament. Like his predecessor Tsai Ing-wen, who was not allowed to run again after two terms in office, Lai is considered critical of China. Relations with its powerful neighbor are tense because China counts the island as part of its territory, even though Taiwan has had an independent, democratically elected government for decades. The DPP, which sees China as “separatist,” represents the so-called status quo, i.e. the view that the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of China, as Taiwan is officially called, do not belong together.
The Chinese Embassy in Japan expressed outrage on Sunday over Japan’s congratulations to Lai. The embassy said it strongly opposed the statement by Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, who congratulated Lai Ching-te and called for a peaceful solution to the Taiwan issue.
“We expect that the Taiwan issue will be resolved peacefully through dialogue, thereby contributing to peace and stability in the region,” Kamikawa said on the Japanese Foreign Ministry website. The Chinese embassy described this statement as “serious interference in China’s internal affairs,” as the foreign mission announced via its official account on the Chinese chat service WeChat.
The German government announced that it would like to further expand relations with Taipei. This should be done in accordance with Germany’s one-China policy, said a spokesman for the Foreign Office in Berlin on Sunday. This means that there can be no recognition of democratic Taiwan as an independent state and that diplomatic relations can only be maintained with Beijing.
The spokesman said: “The free and peaceful elections in Taiwan have once again shown how deeply rooted democracy is in Taiwan and how strongly the voters are connected to democratic values.” Germany maintains close and good relations with Taiwan in many areas. “Peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is critical to the region and far beyond.” Germany is committed to maintaining the status quo and building trust. “A change in the status quo may only occur peacefully and by mutual agreement,” said the spokesman, and with a view to Beijing: “We hope that both sides will continue to press forward with their efforts to resume dialogue.” The French Foreign Ministry made a similar statement in Paris on Sunday.
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