US urged to cease any form of official exchanges with Taiwan

BEIJING, June 2 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Thursday urged the U.S. side to strictly abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques to cease any form of official exchanges with Taiwan.

According to media reports, a virtual meeting was held on Wednesday between deputy U.S. trade representative and Taiwan representative to launch the so-called U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade.

"China firmly opposes any form of official exchanges between Taiwan and countries having diplomatic ties with China, including the negotiating and signing of agreements with sovereign implications and official nature," spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a daily news briefing.

Zhao said that the U.S. has been making frequent moves on the Taiwan question recently. In essence, they are all violating the one-China principle, emboldening the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces and disrupting the peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits.

"There is only one China in the world, and 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," Zhao said, noting these are not only consensus reached by the international community but also solemn commitments made by the U.S. in the three China-U.S. joint communiques.

The U.S.'s insisting on playing the "Taiwan card" will only drag the China-U.S. relations into danger, Zhao said.

The U.S. side should strictly abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques to cease any form of official exchanges with Taiwan, stop negotiating and signing any agreements with sovereign implications and official nature, and refrain from sending wrong signals to the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, he said.

"We also have this stern warning to Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party authorities: stop seeking 'Taiwan independence' by soliciting U.S. support as soon as possible. Otherwise, the higher you jump, the harder you fall," said Zhao.