BEIJING, October 18, 2023 — China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun reaffirmed on Wednesday that the Taiwan question is purely an internal matter and warned against any external interference.
Responding to statements from the United States, European Union, Japan, and others regarding recent joint military exercises around the island of Taiwan conducted by the People’s Liberation Army, Guo emphasized that such accusations distort the facts and interfere in China’s internal affairs.
“China deplores and opposes the mischaracterizations by a handful of countries and organizations,” Guo stated. “‘Taiwan independence’ separatist activities and the external forces that support them are the true threats to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”
He urged nations and organizations to respect the prevailing international commitment to the one-China principle, honor their political commitments to China, respect China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and oppose “Taiwan independence” in any form.
“Moves to clamor for ‘Taiwan independence’ mean separating China; support for ‘Taiwan independence’ is interference in China’s internal affairs, and attempts to abet ‘Taiwan independence’ destabilize the Taiwan Strait,” Guo asserted.
The spokesperson described the recent military exercises as a severe response to the “aggressive provocation” by the authorities seeking “Taiwan independence,” serving as a stern warning to separatist forces undermining peace across the Taiwan Strait. “No external force is in any position to point fingers at this,” he added.
Guo warned that as long as provocations for “Taiwan independence” persist, China’s actions against such movements will continue. “We will never allow anyone or any force to separate Taiwan from China in any form. We will take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he affirmed.
