'Taiwan Issue Is Not China's Internal Affair,' China Warns UK to 'Be Cautious in Words and Actions'

by Kwon Hyeonji

Published 24 Apr.2023 18:12(KST)

Chinese Foreign Ministry: "China's Internal Affairs... Core Interest Among Core Interests"

On the 24th, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs commented on the British Foreign Secretary's statement that "the Taiwan issue cannot be regarded as China's internal affair," urging "caution in words and deeds."

Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a regular briefing that "the Taiwan issue is an internal affair of China and a core interest among core interests," adding, "Resolving the Taiwan issue is a matter for the Chinese people, and no external forces have the right to interfere." He emphasized, "The One-China principle is the political foundation and prerequisite for establishing and developing diplomatic relations between China and the United Kingdom."

At the briefing, he also recalled that over 50 years ago, when the UK decided to exchange ambassadors with China, it recognized that Taiwan is one of China's provinces and that the People's Republic of China is the sole legitimate government of China.

Earlier, on the 18th, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly stated in an interview with The Guardian that he does not agree with the position that the Taiwan issue is China's internal affair, saying, "A state of no conflict in the Taiwan Strait benefits everyone in the world."

[Image source=Yonhap News]