Stockholm, Aug. 6 (ChinaEuropeDialogue) — On August 2, Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, disregarded China’s strong opposition and solemn representations, and visited China’s Taiwan region. This is a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiqués. It has a severe impact on the political foundation of China-U.S. relations. It has seriously undermined China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. It sent a seriously wrong signal to the “Taiwan independence” separatist forces. China firmly opposes and strongly condemns this, and has lodged solemn representations and strong protests to the US.

There is but one China in the world. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory. The government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. In 1971, UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 made this clear. Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, 181 countries have established diplomatic relations with China on the basis of the one-China principle. The one-China principle is a universal consensus of the international community and a basic norm in international relations.

In 1979, the United States made a clear commitment in the joint communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, “The United States of America recognizes the government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal government of China. Within this context, the people of the United States will maintain cultural, commercial, and other unofficial relations with the people of Taiwan.” As a part of the US government, the US congress should strictly abide by the one-China policy of the US government and refrain from any official exchanges with the Taiwan region of China. China has always opposed members of the US congress visiting Taiwan, and the US executive branch has the responsibility to prevent it. Speaker Pelosi is the incumbent leader of the US congress. Her visit to Taiwan in any form and for any reason is a major political provocation to upgrade official exchanges between the US and Taiwan. China will never accept it, and the Chinese people will never accept it.

The Taiwan question is the most important, central and sensitive issue in the China-US relations. At present, the situation across the Taiwan Strait is facing a new round of tension and severe challenges. The fundamental reason is that the Taiwan authorities and the US are constantly changing the status quo. Taiwan authorities have been seeking US support for independence, refusing to recognize the “1992 Consensus”, carrying out “de-sinicization” and pursuing “incremental Taiwan independence”. The US is also trying to use Taiwan to contain China, constantly distorting, obscuring and hollowing out the one-China principle, strengthening official exchanges between the US and Taiwan, and emboldening the “Taiwan independence” separatist activities. This is a very dangerous act of playing with fire. Those who play with fire will perish by it.

Overseas Chinese in Sweden and major overseas Chinese groups firmly support the Chinese government. Defending national sovereignty and territorial integrity is the firm will of more than 1.4 billion Chinese people, and realizing the complete reunification of the homeland is the common aspiration and sacred duty of all Chinese people. The will of the people cannot be defied and the trend of history cannot be reversed. No country, no force, and no individual should misjudge the strong determination, will and ability of the Chinese government and people to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, achieve national reunification and national rejuvenation. China will take all necessary measures to resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity in response to the US House Speaker’s visit to China’s Taiwan region, and the US and the “Taiwan independence” separatist forces must be responsible for all the consequences.

China and the US are two major countries. The only correct way for them to treat each other is mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, avoidance of confrontation, and win-win cooperation. The Taiwan question is purely an internal affair of China, and no other country has the right to act as a judge. China solemnly urges the US to stop playing the “Taiwan card” to contain China, to stop meddling with Taiwan Affairs, to stop interfering in China’s internal affairs, to stop supporting and conniving with the “Taiwan independence” separatist forces in any form, to stop its acts of saying one thing but doing the opposite on the Taiwan question, to stop distorting, obscuring or hollowing out the one-China principle, and to abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three Sino-US joint communiques with concrete actions. The US should deliver on the “five noes” commitment made by the US  leadership, and not go further down the wrong and dangerous path.

Statement of Overseas Chinese groups in no particular order:

Stockholm Overseas Chinese Service Center (SOCSC)

Chinese Confederation of Commerce and Industry in Sweden

Stockholms Kinesiska Förening

Sweden Euro-China International Culture and Business Association

Sweden-China Business Association

Swedish-Chinese Catering Culture Promotion Service Center.

China-Europe Cultural Association

Nordic International Exchange Association

Nordisk-Kinesiska Föreningen