The Chinese Foreign Ministry has issued a stern rebuke aimed at Canberra, after Australia’s minister of defense urged its allies to work together to ensure the dispute over Taiwan does not turn into a war.
Speaking on Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said the turmoil over the fate of Taiwan has been caused by Taipei’s unwillingness to recognize the 1992 Consensus that embodied the One China principle, as well as its decision to align itself with external forces.
Wang said Taiwan’s constant striving for independence was a provocation to Beijing. “China must be reunified, and it is bound to be reunified … China is willing to do its utmost to strive for the prospect of peaceful reunification, but it will never leave any room for any form of separatist activities,” he stated.
In response to comments made by Canberra about Taiwan, the spokesman stated, “It is hoped that the Australian side will fully recognize the high sensitivity of the Taiwan issue, abide by the One China principle, be prudent in words and deeds, and refrain from sending any wrong signals to the separatist forces of Taiwanese independence.”
Also on rt.com Taiwan ‘very willing’ to work with US to counter China’s ‘adventurous maneuvers and provocations’Wang’s riposte comes after Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton said on Sunday that the chance of a conflict over Taiwan involving China “should not be discounted.”
“We want to make sure we continue to be a good neighbor in the region, and that we work with our partners and with our allies. And nobody wants to see conflict between China and Taiwan, or anywhere else," Dutton added, angering Beijing.
Taipei has been speaking of its increasing willingness to work with the US and other “like-minded countries” to deter China.
Washington has reiterated its commitment to the island nation, sending an unofficial delegation in recent weeks, and once again sailing warships through the Taiwan Strait, while Beijing sent jets flying over Taiwan’s airspace. China has called on the US to stop interfering in its internal affairs, as it sees Taiwan as an integral part of its nation.
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