BEIJING, December 6. /TASS/. The Taiwan issue is a critical red line in China-US relations that cannot be crossed, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lin Jian said at a news briefing.
The diplomat’s statement comes in the wake of Taiwan administration’s head Lai Ching-te officially touring Pacific countries with stopovers in the United States.
"Let me stress once again that the Taiwan question is at the core of China’s core interests, and the first red line that cannot be crossed in China-US relations," Lin said.
"We urge the US to fully understand the grave damage that 'Taiwan independence' separatist activities do to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, fully abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques, act on the US leaders’ commitments, including not supporting 'Taiwan independence,' stop interfering in China’s internal affairs, and stop sending any wrong signals to ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces," he continued.
"China will take resolute and strong measures to defend our nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity," Lin added.
During the tour, Lai Ching-te made stopovers at US Hawaii and Guam Island, where he held telephone conversations with former Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and current Speaker of the US House of Representatives Mike Johnson.
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.
Since then, the island has retained the flag and some other attributes of the former Republic of China that existed on the mainland before the Communists came to power. Official Beijing considers Taiwan a province of the People’s Republic of China.