HONG KONG, November 14. /TASS/. The Taiwan issue is a matter of life or death for Beijing, which is why it will not make concessions to the United States on this, said former Chinese Ambassador to the US Cui Tankai.

"The Taiwan question is a matter of national sovereignty, territorial integrity and national unity. So this is something like a life-or-death question for China. So there’s no room for concession," the Chinese diplomat said, addressing the Family Business Summit, which was held behind closed doors in Hong Kong.

According to Cui, the upcoming meeting between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden would give the two leaders a great opportunity to reach an agreement on how to avoid a confrontation or any miscalculations between the two powers. "Meetings between the two presidents are always important, because this is at a top level. It gives strategic guidance to the relationship to go forward," Cui added.

"And if this is done, it will enable us to move forward on many specific issues, including maybe the military-to-military exchanges," the South China Morning Post quoted him as saying. The use of artificial intelligence and climate change could also be discussed, the former ambassador emphasized.

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. Beijing considers Taiwan a province of the People’s Republic of China.

On November 15-17, San Francisco will host the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Meeting. China’s Xi and US President Biden are expected to meet on the sidelines of the summit. Earlier, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that the two leaders are going to discuss various topics, including the situation in Ukraine and in the Middle East, and the restoration of communication channels in the defense sphere between Washington and Beijing.