MOSCOW, July 29. /TASS/. The Kremlin concurs with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who in a phone conversation, cautioned US President Joe Biden against "playing with fire" with regards to Washington’s stance on Taiwan, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday.
"Undoubtedly, we are in solidarity," he pointed out. "We respect China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and think that no country in the world should have the right to question [it] or undertake any steps of instigative or other nature," the Kremlin official explained.
That said, Putin’s press secretary stressed that Washington’s attitude towards Taiwan could fuel more tension globally. "We are confident that such behavior on the international stage can only cause further tension, with the world already strained by a multitude of regional and global problems. Certainly, such steps can only be destructive," Peskov elaborated.
Earlier, the Chinese and US leaders discussed Taiwan in a phone conversation. The parties noted that Washington and Beijing differed on this issue, but it was necessary to keep communication channels open. The dialogue between the two leaders was held amid mounting tension between Washington and Beijing on the issue of Taiwan, triggered by Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi’s intention to visit the island.
Taiwan has been governed by its local administration since 1949 when the remaining Kuomintang forces led by Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975) fled to the island after suffering a defeat in China’s civil war. Since then, Taiwan has preserved the flag and some other symbols of the Republic of China that had existed in mainland China before the Communists came to power. Beijing regards the island as one of its provinces and this position is supported by most countries, including Russia.