China Welcomes New Guinea's "One China" Policy

BEIJING, July 21 (Xinhua)-- China today welcomed what it called the "wise decision" by Papua New Guinea's new government to cancel its communique on "diplomatic ties" with Taiwan.

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said that the Chinese government appreciates the decision made by the new government headed by Prime Minster Mekere Morauta to pursue the principles of the 1976 communique on diplomatic ties between China and Papua New Guinea and to correct the erroneous actions of the former government.

In a statement today, Morauta said that his government is sticking to the "One China" policy, safeguarding diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of China, and devoting itself to furthering bilateral ties.

He dismissed the communique on "establishing diplomatic ties" by the former government with Taiwan on July 5 as invalid and unrecognizable.

Zhang said that everyone knows that there is but one China in the world and the Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legitimate government of China and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory. Taiwan authorities, she said, resort to any means in their "money diplomacy" in an attempt to create "two Chinas" or "One China, One Taiwan" in South Pacific and other regions.

Such wanton and despicable action in attempting to split the motherland will meet with strong opposition from the Chinese people, including Taiwan compatriots, and also criticism from the people of South Pacific, including those of Papua New Guinea, and the people of the rest of the world, Zhang said, stressing that Taiwan authorities' attempt to split the motherland will surely be met with complete failure.

The Chinese government pays great attention to developing friendship and relations of cooperation with Papua New Guinea, and the forging of diplomatic ties has proven that it is in the long- term and fundamental interests of the people of both countries to develop bilateral cooperation in various fields, Zhang stressed, adding that the Chinese government and people are willing to join the government and people of Papua New Guinea to further the friendship and relations of cooperation into the 21st century.