(Beijing) China said on Tuesday that it had complained to the United States about US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s congratulations to Taiwan’s new president, Lai Ching-te.
Posted at 6:24 a.m.
Mr. Lai, whom Beijing has called a “dangerous separatist” in the past, was sworn in on Monday.
In his congratulatory message, Blinken said he hoped Washington and Taipei would maintain “peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”
Beijing said Tuesday the message “severely violated the one-China principle.” […] and sent a bad signal to the separatist forces.”
China is “strongly dissatisfied and firmly opposed to this move, and has responded harshly to the United States,” said Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, at a press conference.
Beijing considers the democratically governed island to be part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to bring it under its control.
“The Taiwan issue lies at the core of China’s core interests and constitutes the first insurmountable red line in China-US relations,” Wang added.
If Washington has recognized Beijing to the detriment of Taipei since 1979, it has remained Taiwan’s most important partner and its main arms supplier.
China unveiled new sanctions on Monday against three American companies selling weapons to Taiwan.
Eight heads of state from the rare countries that recognize Taiwan participated in the inauguration ceremony of the Taiwanese president on Monday as well as several dozen delegations.
A US delegation –– including former National Economic Council Director Brian Deese and former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage – attended the ceremony in Taipei.
Beijing strongly condemned the delegations’ presence, calling it “gross interference in China’s internal affairs” and saying it “endangered peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”
“We strongly request relevant countries and politicians to stop engaging in political manipulation on Taiwan-related issues, stop sending wrong signals to Taiwan separatist forces, and stop taking wrong actions that go against international good faith,” Wang said.
