BEIJING, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- China highly appreciates the decision of the Solomon Islands' government to recognize the one-China principle and break the so-called "diplomatic ties" with the Taiwan authorities, a spokesperson said on Monday.

On Sept. 16, the Solomon Islands' government decided at a cabinet meeting that it would recognize the one-China principle and sever "diplomatic ties" with the Taiwan authorities and establish diplomatic relationship with China.

"We support this important decision which the Solomon Islands has made by itself as an independent sovereign state," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said.

Stressing that there is but one China in the world, that the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legitimate government that represents the whole of China, and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, Hua said this is a basic fact and the universal consensus of the international community.

"On the basis of the one-China principle, China has established official diplomatic relationships with 178 countries around the world," Hua said. "The decision of the Solomon Islands' government to recognize the one-China principle and establish diplomatic ties with China again fully testifies to the fact that the one-China principle meets the shared aspiration of the people and constitutes an irresistible trend of the times."