On August 4, 2022, Ambassador Wei Hongtian received interview from GIS and MTV on U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to China’s Taiwan region. The following is the readout:
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. The Foreign Ministry, National People’s Congress, Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the Taiwan Affairs Office, and the State Councilor and Foreign Minister, H.E. Wang Yi of the People’s Republic of China have issued official statements concerning the question of Taiwan. On the basis of those statements, I’d like to emphasize the following points.
We strongly condemn the visit by Pelosi. Her insistence on this visit in disregard of the opposition from China seriously violated the one-China principle and the provisions of the three Sino-US joint communiqués, seriously infringed on China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and seriously undermined peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. We firmly oppose such highly irresponsible, provocative and dangerous act.
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. This has been clearly recognized by United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 of 1971. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, 181 countries have established diplomatic relations with China on the basis of the one-China principle. The one-China principle is a universal consensus of the international community and a basic norm in international relations.
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, 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 Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affair. No other country, the United States included, has the right to interfere. The position of the Chinese Government and people on the Taiwan question has been consistent. 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 to realize the complete reunification of the motherland. The will of the people is not to be defied, and the trend of the times cannot be reversed. 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.
We will never sit idly by while the United States plays the "Taiwan card" to serve the domestic politics and the selfish desires of politicians. And we will never condone actions creating tensions, provoking confrontation and instigating divisions in the region. The necessary, timely and defensive comprehensive countermeasures taken by China at present and in the future undergo careful consideration and evaluation, and are aimed at safeguarding national sovereignty and security, which comply with international and domestic laws, and serve as a warning to provocateurs and regional stability, and actions to maintain peace across the Taiwan Strait. The Chinese military exercises in the waters near the Taiwan Island are necessary and legitimate measures to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to counter the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces and interference by external forces. Relevant Chinese authorities have issued safety reminders and navigation warnings in advance. China's relevant practice is in line with international law and international practice.
The historical ins and outs of the Taiwan question are crystal-clear, so are the facts and status quo that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one and the same China. The international community knows it too. Over the past few days, many leaders around the world and people from different walks of life have voiced their opposition to the visit. The spokesperson of the UN Secretary-General has just said that the policy of the UN on this issue is guided by General Assembly Resolution 2758 from 1971 on one China.
Peace and development remain to be the mainstream of the modern world. To achieve this, no country, however powerful it is, should attempt to touch red lines and bottom lines that cannot be crossed. Again, China appreciates Grenada’s upholding of the one-China principle over the years, and is ready to work together with all peace-loving countries, including Grenada, to safeguard the common interest of the globe.
