China opposes Taiwan's chief executive transiting through US

China has called on the United States not to allow Taiwan's Chief Executive, Lai Ching-te, to transit through US territories on his way to the Pacific Islands.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Lin Jian, made this statement during a briefing, stressing that the US should respect the One China principle and the provisions outlined in the three Sino-US Joint Communiques, Caliber.Az reports citing Russian media.

"We urge the United States to adhere to the One China principle and the provisions of the three Sino-US Joint Communiques, not to allow the transit of Lai Ching-te, and not to send false signals to forces advocating for Taiwan's independence. We call for practical actions to protect Sino-American relations, as well as peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," Lin Jian told reporters.

Reports have suggested that Lai Ching-te may make stops in Hawaii and Guam as part of his upcoming tour of Pacific Island nations, several of which are diplomatic allies of Taiwan rather than China. The Taiwanese leader is expected to visit the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, and Palau.

Lin emphasized that the One China principle remains a widely accepted consensus in the international community, and Taiwan's attempts to use its so-called diplomatic allies for political maneuvering and independence-related provocations will ultimately fail. "The use of so-called diplomatic allies by the Taiwanese authorities for political manipulation and provocations in pursuit of independence will not succeed," he asserted.

Taiwan currently maintains official relations with just 12 diplomatic allies: Paraguay, Belize, Guatemala, Haiti, the Marshall Islands, Palau, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Eswatini, Tuvalu, and the Vatican. Over recent years, several countries have shifted their diplomatic recognition to China, severing ties with Taiwan. Countries such as El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Burkina Faso, Panama, Kiribati, the Solomon Islands, and Nicaragua have all opted to establish formal relations with China.

Official diplomatic relations between China and Taiwan were severed in 1949 after the Kuomintang forces retreated to the island following their defeat in the civil war by the Chinese Communist Party. Although formal ties were broken, informal contacts and business interactions between Taipei and Beijing resumed in the late 1980s. Since the early 1990s, both sides have engaged through non-governmental organizations, such as the Beijing-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait and the Taipei-based Straits Exchange Foundation.

Beijing regards Taiwan as an integral part of China, and adherence to the One China principle is a non-negotiable condition for any country wishing to establish or maintain diplomatic relations with China. While the United States officially follows the One China policy and does not recognize Taiwan’s independence, it continues to supply weapons to the island. Beijing considers Taiwan to be the most sensitive issue in its relationship with Washington.

By Vafa Guliyeva