Taipei, May 14 (IANS) Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Thursday described China as the “sole risk” to regional peace and stability, local media reported.
Taiwan Foreign Ministry’s strong statement came after Chinese President Xi Jinping told his US counterpart Donald Trump that Taiwan was the “most important issue” in the US-China ties.
When asked to comment by Central News Agency (CNA), Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said, “Beijing is the sole risk to regional peace and stability,” and said that Taiwan will continue to cooperate with the US and other nations that uphold freedom and democracy to ensure regional security and prosperity.
The ministry further stated that Taiwan and the People’s Republic of China “are not subordinate to each other” and that China does not have right to represent Taiwan in any international arena, CNA reported.
During his talks with Trump in Beijing on Thursday, Xi Jinping said that the US-China ties will have overall stability if the Taiwan issue is handled properly.
The statement released by Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “President Xi stressed that the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations. If it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability. Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy. ‘Taiwan independence’ and cross-Strait peace are as irreconcilable as fire and water.”
During the meeting, Xi termed safeguarding peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait “the biggest common denominator between China and the US.” He stated that the US side must exercise extra caution in handling the Taiwan issue.
China maintains that Taiwan is a part of its territory and needs to be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary. Despite China’s efforts, Taiwan, backed by strong public support, continues to assert its sovereignty and responds to China’s incursions.
–IANS
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