Huang Shifang

Consul-General of the People's Republic of China in Kota Kinabalu

On 2 August, in disregard of China's strong opposition and serious representations, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi visited China's Taiwan region.  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".  The Chinese Government firmly opposes and sternly condemns this, and has taken firm countermeasures.

The one-China principle is the universal consensus of the international community and the basic norm of international relations.  The Cairo Declaration in 1943 and the Potsdam Proclamation in 1945 both unmistakably show that the international community has no dispute over China's territorial sovereignty over Taiwan.  Resolution 2758 of the United Nations General Assembly in 1971 made it clear that there is but one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, and 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 – “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.”  Congress, as a part of the U.S. Government, and Pelosi, as the third-ranking leader in the U.S. Government, are inherently obliged to strictly observe the one-China policy of the U.S. Government and the political commitments the U.S. has made to China.  However, Pelosi insisted on visiting Taiwan for political self-interest, leaving the U.S.’s political commitments behind, completely ignoring the huge impact this risky and provocative behavior has brought to China-US relations, regional security and the U.S. itself.  On the one hand, the United States talked about "not supporting Taiwan independence", "maintaining stability across the Taiwan Strait", "maintaining the status quo across the Taiwan Strait", and "setting up guardrails for US-China relations", and on the other hand, it allowed Pelosi to visit China Taiwan against the mass of public opinion, creating storms in the Taiwan Strait and new serious difficulties for China-US relations.  This also makes it clear to the international community that who is changing the status quo across the Taiwan Strait, who is undermining China-US relations, who is sabotaging regional peace and stability, and who is undermining the international order.  In this, the U.S. has reneged on its promises, played with "double standards", constantly distorted,obscured and hollowed out the one-China principle, it is stepping up official interactions with Taiwan, supporting Taiwan in developing so-called "asymmetric capabilities", and spreading the idea that "the status of Taiwan is undetermined" internationally.  Such acts can only further bankrupt the national credibility of the United States, and fully reveals its real purpose of playing the "Taiwan card", using Taiwan to contain China, and restraining China's development.

There is no room for any country to compromise on issues  involving sovereignty and territorial integrity.  The entire history context of the Taiwan question is clear, and the fact and current situation that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one China are clear.  The position of the Chinese Government and people on the Taiwan question has been consistent.  The Taiwan question concerns China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity,to resolutely safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country represents the unbending will of the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people.  The Chinese Government has already solemnly stated that if the United States insists on going the wrong way, it will take strong measures to thwart any attempt by external forces to interfere in, and any separatist plot of "Taiwan independence".  The Chinese people are the men of their word.  No one should misjudge the Chinese people's strong determination, firm will, and strong ability to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity!

China and Malaysia are good neighbors, good friends, good partners and good brothers that have stood the test of history.  Malaysia has a longstanding commitment to the one-China principle and does not support "Taiwan independence", which the Chinese Government highly appreciates.  It is hoped that in the future, China and Malaysia will further consolidate the political consensus on maintaining regional peace and stability, endow the China-Malaysia comprehensive strategic partnership with connotation of a new era, and work together to build a China-Malaysia community with a shared future.