Commentary: Washington should stop playing with fire on Taiwan

BEIJING, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's clamor for Taiwan's "robust, meaningful participation throughout the United Nations system has once again crossed China's red line over the Taiwan question.

Blinken's irresponsible remarks on Tuesday have severely violated the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, the political foundation of China-U.S. ties, broke the promise Washington has made, and constituted a gross breach of international norms.

Five decades ago, the 26th Session of the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 2758 with an overwhelming majority, and restored all rights of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the world body. The resolution has resolved the issue of China's UN representation in political, legal and procedural terms once and for all.

The United States has also clearly stated in the three China-U.S. joint communiques that it "recognized the Government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal Government of China" and "acknowledged the Chinese position that there is but one China and Taiwan is part of China."

The one-China principle is a global consensus and one of the universally recognized basic norms governing international relations, and brooks no provocation and distortion. So far, a total of 180 countries, including the United States, have established diplomatic ties with China on the basis of adhering to the principle.

The PRC government is the sole legal government representing the whole of China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. Thus, the island has no right at all to be a member of the United Nations, an inter-governmental organization that only allows sovereign countries to join. Its participation in activities of international organizations must be dealt with in accordance with the one-China principle.

For quite some time, Washington has kept playing the Taiwan card to disrupt China's drive for reunification and development. America's vicious acts such as selling arms to Taiwan and sending officials to the region for visits have undermined the China-U.S. political foundation, increased uncertainties in their relations, and greatly harmed peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

Today, some politicians in Washington still choose to ignore history, facts and international law, attempting to challenge the authority of the United Nations and send misleading information to separatist forces preaching the so-called "Taiwan independence."

Taiwan-related issues concern China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Beijing will never compromise on those matters regarding the country's core interests. The Chinese government and people have both the capacity and resolve to safeguard the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

One who plays with fire will surely end up getting burned. Washington should stop its erroneous and dangerously irresponsible remarks and actions as early as possible, truly honor its commitments and abide by the UN resolution, and take tangible actions to stabilize China-U.S. relations and cross-Strait relations.