BEIJING, March 25 (Xinhua) --The Paraguayan government should choose to stand on the right side of history, instead of playing with words and exploiting loopholes, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday.
Spokesperson Lin Jian made the remarks during a regular press briefing while commenting on a recent social media post by Paraguayan President Santiago Pena. In his post, Pena termed the 66-year-long "diplomatic relations" between Paraguay and Taiwan in-depth and friendly, noting that it has not hindered trade relations between Paraguay and China, for Paraguay still exports soybeans to China.
Lin said there is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory. The government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China, and the one-China principle is a widely recognized norm in international relations and common consensus of the international community, he added.
Adherence to the one-China principle is an overriding trend that represents international justice and enjoys popular support, Lin said.
While China is the world's largest soybean importer, official Chinese statistics show zero imports of soybeans from Paraguay in recent years, Lin added.
"If the Paraguayan government truly wants to pursue development and the well-being of the people, it should recognize the global trend and choose to stand on the right side of history, instead of playing with words and exploiting loopholes," the spokesperson said.