China urges U.S. not to obscure, hollow out one-China principle

BEIJING, May 23 (Xinhua) -- The United States should abide by the one-China principle and stipulations in the three China-U.S. joint communiques, and stop obscuring and hollowing out the one-China principle, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Monday in response to recent remarks by U.S. State Department Spokesperson Ned Price.

In a social media post, Price said that China continues to misrepresent U.S. policy, and that the United States remains committed to its longstanding, bipartisan one-China policy, guided by the so-called "Taiwan Relations Act", Three Joint Communiques, and Six Assurances.

Wang said that Price's comments are a distortion of facts and history.

The Taiwan question is the most important and sensitive issue in China-U.S. relations. The core of the Taiwan question is "one China." There is but one China in the world, Taiwan is a part of China, and the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China.

"This is the core concept of the one-China principle, which has become the consensus of the international community and the basic norm governing international relations," Wang said.

A total of 181 countries, including the United States, have established diplomatic relations with China on the basis of recognizing the one-China principle, he added.

In history, the Taiwan question was the biggest obstacle to the normalization of China-U.S. relations. That's because China firmly adhered to the one-China principle and would never make any compromises or concessions on this issue, Wang said.

In 1971, the United States affirmed to China that it would pursue new principles with regard to the Taiwan question, which include: the United States would acknowledge that there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is a part of China, and the U.S. side would not support any "Taiwan independence" movement, the spokesperson said.

In the Shanghai Communique released in 1972, the U.S. side declared that "the United States acknowledges that all Chinese on either side of the Taiwan Strait maintain there is but one China and that Taiwan is a part of China. The United States Government does not challenge that position."

Wang said the above-mentioned commitments made by the United States started the process toward the normalization of China-U.S. relations.

In the China-U.S. joint communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations released in 1978, the United States "recognizes the Government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal Government of China" and "acknowledges the Chinese position that there is but one China and Taiwan is part of China."

In the August 17 Communique released in 1982, the United States "reiterates that it has no intention of infringing on Chinese sovereignty and territorial integrity, or interfering in China's internal affairs, or pursuing a policy of 'two Chinas' or 'one China, one Taiwan'."

"These commitments are there for all to see. They are crystal clear and inked in the documents. Such historical facts cannot be wiped off or denied," Wang said.

However, over the past 40 years, the United States has not been faithfully implementing the one-China principle and stipulations in the three China-U.S. joint communiques, Wang said.

He added that the U.S. side has significantly eased restrictions on official exchanges with Taiwan, the U.S.-Taiwan military interactions have become more frequent and overt, and the United States even helps Taiwan expand its so-called "international space."

He said that, in recent years, the U.S. side has even tried to obscure and hollow out the one-China principle. For example, the United States is using more descriptions to modify its one-China policy, including its unilaterally-concocted Taiwan Relations Act and Six Assurances that have never been recognized by China and are firmly opposed.

The China-U.S. relationship is state-to-state relations. It can only be guided by the political consensus reached by the two sides, rather than be established on policies concocted unilaterally by the U.S. side, he added.

It is not difficult to tell from the fact that China is not misrepresenting the U.S. policy. It is the U.S. that has been constantly reneging on its own commitments, the consensus of the two sides, and its original position, in order to undermine the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and play the "Taiwan card" to contain China, Wang said.

He pointed out that the essence of both the one-China principle and the one-China policy is about "one China," which is the political consensus reached by China and the United States. Without the consensus, China and the United States could not have engaged with each other, established diplomatic ties, and developed bilateral relations.

The Taiwan question is purely China's internal affair, and realizing complete national reunification is the common aspiration of all Chinese people. China is determined to safeguard its own sovereignty and security interests.

"There is zero room for compromise and not an inch to give on the Taiwan question," Wang said.

"We urge the U.S. side to abide by the one-China principle and stipulations in the three China-U.S. joint communiques, return to the original and true meaning of 'one-China', follow through on President Biden's remarks of not supporting 'Taiwan independence', stop hollowing out the one-China principle, stop seeking to contain China with Taiwan-related issues, stop emboldening 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces, and avoid causing severe damage to China-U.S. relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," he said.