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Taiwan issue has to do with Chinese sovereignty, not democracy — diplomat

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning pointed out that "the differences between the systems on both sides of the strait are not an obstacle to reunification"

BEIJING, April 7. /TASS/. The Taiwan issue is related to China's territorial integrity and not to the protection of democracy, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters on Friday.

"The Taiwan issue is not an issue of democracy, it is an issue related to China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. <…> Some countries promote false statements of 'confrontation between democracy and authoritarianism,' supporting separatist forces that advocate 'Taiwan independence' under the pretext of protecting democracy and using the Taiwan issue to put pressure on China," the diplomat said.

She also pointed out that "the differences between the systems on both sides of the strait are not an obstacle to reunification".

Taiwan has been governed by its own administration since 1949, when the remnants of the Kuomintang forces led by Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975) fled there after their defeat in the Chinese Civil War. Official Beijing considers Taiwan a province of the People’s Republic of China and urges foreign countries to comply with the ‘one-China’ policy.