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China urges US to halt official contacts with Taiwan

The ministry emphasized that in the Joint Communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations, the US committed to maintaining only unofficial cultural and commercial ties with Taiwan

BEIJING, December 3. /TASS/. China stands against any official interactions between the US and Taiwan, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China Lin Jian stated.

"The Taiwan issue is central to China’s fundamental interests and represents the first red line in China-US relations that must not be crossed," the diplomat reminded.

The ministry emphasized that in the Joint Communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations, the US committed to maintaining only unofficial cultural and commercial ties with Taiwan. Beijing called on Washington to "act with extreme caution," to end any official contacts with Taipei and not send misleading signals to separatist forces.

Taiwan has been governed by its own administration since 1949, when remnants of the Kuomintang forces led by Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975) fled to the island after being defeated in the Chinese civil war. Since then, Taipei has retained the flag and other symbols of the Former Republic of China. According to Beijing’s official claim, supported by the majority of countries including Russia, Taiwan is a part of the PRC.

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