- Title: China 'firmly opposes' Taiwan's leadership engaging with U.S. officials
- Date: 9th January 2017
- Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (JANUARY 9, 2017) (REUTERS) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN LU KANG WALKING IN FOR REGULAR BRIEFING MEDIA SEATED (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN, LU KANG, SAYING: "I would like to repeat that we firmly oppose the leader of Taiwan region conducting any form of contact with U.S. officials using the so-called transit as an excuse, and engaging in activities to interrupt and jeopardize the Sino-U.S. relationship. We again urge the U.S. and relevant people to commit to the 'One China' principle and three joint Sino-U.S. Joint Communiqués, to properly handle the issue regarding Taiwan in order to avoid damaging Sino-U.S. ties and peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits." BRIEFING IN PROGRESS EXTERIOR OF CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY CHINESE NATIONAL FLAG FLYING
- Embargoed: 24th January 2017 09:28
- Keywords: China Taiwan leadership US official
- Location: BEIJING, CHINA
- City: BEIJING, CHINA
- Country: China
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0015YCZ7EV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:China firmly opposes Taiwan's leadership engaging with U.S. officials, China's foreign ministry said on Monday (January 9) after U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and Texas Governor Greg Abbott met the president of Taiwan.
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and Texas Governor Greg Abbott met Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Sunday (January 8) during a stopover in Houston that was sure to irritate Chinese leaders already upset by her conversation with President-elect Donald Trump.
It is not unusual for U.S. lawmakers to meet with Taiwanese leaders when they pass through the country, but tensions are high this winter after Trump, who like Cruz and Abbott is a Republican, spoke to Tsai last month.
The telephone conversation broke with decades of precedent and cast doubt on his incoming administration's commitment to Beijing's "one China" policy.
Beijing had urged the United States not to let her into the country.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang expressed opposition of the meeting.
"I would like to repeat that we firmly oppose the leader of Taiwan region conducting any form of contact with U.S. officials using the so-called transit as an excuse, and engaging in activities to interrupt and jeopardize the Sino-U.S. relationship. We again urge the U.S. and relevant people to commit to the 'One China' principle and three joint Sino-U.S Joint Communiques, to properly handle the issue regarding Taiwan in order to avoid damaging Sino-U.S. ties and peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits," Lu told reporters at a regular briefing in Beijing.
China is deeply suspicious of Tsai, who it thinks wants to push for the formal independence of Taiwan, a self-governing island that Beijing regards as a renegade province, ineligible for state-to-state relations.
The United States, which switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 1979, has acknowledged the Chinese position that there is only "one China" and that Taiwan is part of it." - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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