China has expressed strong opposition to a joint statement issued by Canada and the Republic of Korea (ROK) addressing the Taiwan region and the South China Sea.
On Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Canada criticized the statement, which was published on the website of Global Affairs Canada following a foreign and defense ministerial meeting between Canada and the ROK.
The spokesperson accused the statement of “blatantly pointing its finger” at issues concerning China’s core interests, including the Taiwan region and the South China Sea, and of exaggerating the situation.
“Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory,” the spokesperson reaffirmed. “The Taiwan question is purely an internal matter for China, leaving no room for external interference.”
The spokesperson emphasized that the greatest threat to peace across the Taiwan Strait is “Taiwan independence” separatist activities and foreign meddling. “If relevant countries genuinely wish to contribute to regional peace and stability, they should earnestly abide by the one-China principle and unequivocally oppose ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces,” the spokesperson said.
Addressing concerns about the South China Sea, the spokesperson stated that the situation remains generally stable and that China is committed to resolving differences through dialogue and consultation with directly concerned countries.
“The South China Sea is one of the safest and freest maritime routes in the world,” the spokesperson noted. “There has never been any issue with freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea. The Chinese side urges non-regional countries to genuinely respect the efforts of regional countries to resolve disputes through negotiation and to stop stirring up trouble.”
Reference(s):
China condemns Canada-ROK statement on Taiwan region, South China Sea
cgtn.com
