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Russian envoy points to China’s right to take any measures to protect sovereignty

Andrey Denisov called on Washington to refrain from actions undermining regional stability and international security

BEIJING, August 10. /TASS/. Moscow believes that Beijing has the right to take any measures to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity, Russian Ambassador to China Andrey Denisov said in an interview with the China Daily newspaper.

"Russia views US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan on August 2-3 as a clear provocation, which is in line with the United States’ aggressive policy aimed at comprehensively containing China," the paper quoted the envoy as saying.

"Russia’s principled position remains unchanged. We believe that there is only one China, the Chinese government is the only legitimate government representing the entire China and Taiwan is an integral part of China," Denisov pointed out.

When asked to comment on China’s military drills around Taiwan, the ambassador noted that in Russia’s view, the relationship between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait was China’s domestic affair. "China has the right to take any necessary measures to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity in terms of the Taiwan issue," Denisov noted. "We call on Washington to refrain from actions undermining regional stability and international security and accept the new geopolitical reality where there is no room for US hegemony," he added.

China launched large-scale drills involving live firing in six areas around Taiwan the next day after Pelosi’s visit to Taipei.

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.