On August 3, 2022, Chinese Ambassador to India H.E. Sun Weidong gave an exclusive interview to Sachin Parashar from The Times of India on US House Speaker Pelosi’s visit to China’s Taiwan region. The main content of the interview is as follows:
Q:The world seems to be on a knife edge because of US-China tensions over Taiwan. How do you think China will react to Pelosi's visit to Taiwan?
A: You mentioned the word “knife edge” , which is a vivid description. However, it is not to the world, but to the US itself. They put themselves on “knife edge” by provoking the one-China principle and insisted on arranging Speaker Pelosi’s visit to China’s Taiwan region. The DPP authorities in Taiwan are also falling into the abyss, because they continue to go down the wrong path to seek the so-called “Taiwan independence”.
On 2 August, in disregard of China's strong opposition and serious representations, Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi obstinately clinged to the wrong path and openly visited China's Taiwan region by taking a US military aircraft. This is a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiqués. It has a severe impact on the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and seriously infringes upon China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. It gravely undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and sends a seriously wrong signal to the separatist forces for "Taiwan independence". China expresses firm opposition and stern condemn to it, and has made serious démarche and strong protest to the United States. The Chinese Foreign Ministry, the National People’s Congress, the National Committee of the CPPCC, the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee, and the Ministry of National Defense have stated solemn stance on this matter. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi made remarks on U.S. violation of China's sovereignty.
The Taiwan question is the most important and most sensitive issue at the very heart of China-U.S. relations. Mishandling of the Taiwan question will have a disruptive impact on the bilateral ties. The Taiwan Strait is facing a new round of tensions and severe challenges, and the root cause is that the Taiwan authorities have repeatedly tried to seek “Taiwan independence” by soliciting US support, while some in the US intend to contain China with the Taiwan question. The Taiwan authorities refuse to recognize the 1992 Consensus, go all out to push forward "de-sinicization", and promote "incremental independence". Whereas the US constantly distorts, obscures and hollows out the one-China principle, steps up its official exchanges with Taiwan, and emboldens "Taiwan independence" separatist activities. These moves, similar to playing with fire, are extremely dangerous and must be stopped. China will definitely take all necessary countermeasures and resolutely safeguard our sovereignty and territorial integrity. We mean what we say. All the consequences arising therefrom must be borne by the U.S. side and the “Taiwan independence” separatist forces.
Q:Do you think this dangerous situation could have been avoided given that the Biden administration itself had reservations about Pelosi's visit plans and was trying to convince Beijing and others that her visit will not signal any change in the US position on Taiwan?
A: I think the truth is just the opposite. We would like to raise these questions: does the US side really want to avoid such a serious and grave situation from the beginning? And then why should they make so much effort to make Speaker Pelosi visit China’s Taiwan region? If the US really does not want to change their position on Taiwan question, why have they made all those changes and been backtracking in the past years on the Taiwan question?
There is but one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. The Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. In 1979, the United States made a clear commitment in the China-U.S. Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations, which stated that “The United States of America recognizes the Government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal Government of China. Within this context, the people of the United States will maintain cultural, commercial, and other unofficial relations with the people of Taiwan.” However, the US has not been faithfully implementing the one-China principle and stipulations in the three China-US joint communiqués over the past 40 years or so. There are more than enough examples in bad faith by the US side in recent years. Congress, as a part of the U.S. Government, is inherently obliged to strictly observe the one-China policy of the U.S. Government and refrain from having any official exchanges with China’s Taiwan region. The U.S. executive branch has the responsibility to stop such visit of US congressional members. Since Speaker Pelosi is the incumbent leader of the U.S. Congress, her visit to and activities in Taiwan, in whatever form and for whatever reason, is a major political provocation to upgrade U.S. official exchanges with Taiwan. However, what we have seen is that the executive branch of the US connived at Pelosi’s visit and work hand in golve with her. They made wanton provocations, distorted facts and blamed the innocent and asked China not to escalate the situation, which fully exposed the US’s bullying, unreason and extortionist logic. The US should not dream of obstructing China's reunification, nor should they fantasize about undermining China's development and revitalization, or fantasize about manipulating geopolitical games and distorting facts at will.
Q:Then US House Speaker had visited Taiwan in the past like in 1997. Also Congress members in the past. So how is the present situation different from earlier occasions?
A: China's opposition to official exchanges between the US and Taiwan is consistent and clear.The United States made clear commitment in the China-U.S.Joint Communiquéon the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations.The wrongful actions of certain US politicians in the past do not constitute a precedent and still less should they become an excuse for the US to repeat its mistake on the Taiwan question.
Q: China has warned of "targeted military operations". Do you think the present situation could lead to a full blown military conflagration?
A: The unscrupulous behavior and retrogressive moves of the US showed to the world that, it is the US who deliberately made provocations first. It is also the US who is the biggest destroyer of peace. It is the firm commitment of the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people to resolutely safeguard state sovereignty and territorial integrity. It is the common aspiration and sacred responsibility of all Chinese sons and daughters to realize the complete reunification of the motherland. China will never sit idly by and allow its national sovereignty, security and development interests to be undermined, nor shall we allow anyone or any force to infringe upon and secede the sacred territory of our motherland. The Chinese people have expressed strong indignation and resolute opposition to the US House Speaker’s visit to Taiwan region. The public opinion cannot be defied. Those who play with fire will perish by it. No country, no forces and no individual should ever misestimate the firm resolve, strong will and great capability of the Chinese Government and people to defend state sovereignty and territorial integrity and to achieve national reunification and rejuvenation. China will definitely take all necessary countermeasures and resolutely safeguard our sovereignty and territorial integrity. We mean what we say. All the consequences arising therefrom must be borne by the U.S. side and the “Taiwan independence” separatist forces.
I would like to point out that, the one-China principle is a universal consensus of the international community and the political foundation for China’s exchanges with other countries, including India. It is the core of China’s core interests and a red line and bottom line that cannot be crossed. India was among the first countries to recognize that there is one China. It is hoped that India can honor the one-China principle, grasp the vicious political intention behind Pelosi’s visit and the serious harms of the “Taiwan independence” separatist force. It is hoped that the Indian side can understand and support China’s efforts to defend its sovereignty, security and development interests, work together with the Chinese side to promote a healthy and steady development of China-India relations.
