Statement by Amb. Huang Xilian on Blinken’s Remarks on China

On August 6, during his visit to the Philippines, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken claimed that the countermeasures taken by China over the visit of Pelosi to Taiwan region was irresponsible, and accused China of overreacting and using it as a pretext to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and distabilizing the region. Such remarks are in total defiance of the facts, attempting to confuse right with wrong and shift the blame on China, which again underscores the US’s bullying, highhandedness and hegemony. In view of his misinformation and smear words, it is necessary to get the facts out and set the record straight.First, who is being irresponsible? US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi brazenly went ahead with her visit to China’s Taiwan region. This move seriously violates the one-China principle, maliciously infringes on China’s sovereignty, gravely undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and sends a seriously wrong signal to the separatist forces for “Taiwan independence”. The Chinese government has every right to do whatever necessary and justified to resolutely uphold our sovereignty and territorial integrity. China has acted in legitimate self-defense only after the US made this egregious provocation. The context and the events that led to the tensions in the Taiwan Strait are crystal-clear. Since this April, China had repeatedly warned the US through various channels of the grave nature and severe harm of this visit and made it clear that all consequences arising therefrom should be borne by the US side. Many fair-minded people in the US and the international community had been warning the US of the potential consequences as well. Many openly pointed out that the visit was a completely unnecessary, egregious provocation and could trigger a serious crisis. However, the US not only turns a deaf ear to all of those, but also covers up and even connives with Pelosi on pursuing the wrong path. How could have Pelosi visited China’s Taiwan region by a US military aircraft without the consent and arrangement of the US government? Facts are clear that it is the US that has been acting irresponsibly all along which led to the escalation of tension. The US should take full responsibility. China’s countermeasures are completely just, legitimate and proportionate. Our countermeasures are necessary as a warning to the provocateurs and as legitimate steps to uphold our sovereignty and security. They are also about staunchly safeguarding regional peace and stability and international law and basic norms governing international relations.Second, who is changing the status quo across the Taiwan Strait? There is only one China, and both the mainland and Taiwan belong to this one China. This has been the status quo of Taiwan since ancient times. There is but one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, and the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. This is the real status quo across the Taiwan Strait. Now the status quo has indeed been broken, but the culprit is the US and the “Taiwan independence” separatist forces that the US condones and supports. The fundamental reason for the tension in the Taiwan Strait in recent years is that the Democratic Progress Party (DPP) authorities refuse to recognize the 1992 Consensus, go all out to push forward “de-sinicization”, and promote “incremental independence” while seeking US support for their independence agenda. And the US constantly distorts, obscures and hollows out the one-China principle, playing the so-called “Taiwan card” and trying to use Taiwan to contain China in an attempt to obstruct China’s great cause of reunification and disrupt China’s peaceful development.Third, who is distablizing this region? The world is not tranquil and the pandemic unseen in a century is still raging. The world needs peace and all countries look forward to cooperation. At the critical time of fighting COVID-19 and promoting economic recovery in the region, the US is not lending a helping hand. Instead, it is ganging up for confrontation and creating division. In recent years, the US has been promoting the so-called “Indo-Pacific Strategy” by strengthening the Five Eyes, peddling the Quad and piecing together AUKUS, all aiming to create small circles to contain China. The US military vessels and aircraft constantly visit the region from half a globe away to flex muscles and create tensions in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. The US has messed up many places around the world, it is now trying to mess up the Asia-Pacific. It has been proved time and again that what the US has done in the region as an outsider is by no means some kind of blessing, but a sinister move to disrupt regional peace and stability. The US has gone to great length to hijack the other countries onto their geopolitical chariot, and make them its “pawns” in order to maintain the US hegemony to the detriment of the overall and long-term interests of countries in the region.It must be pointed out that the visit of Pelosi to Taiwan is a farce out and out. More than 160 countries have voiced for justice by condemning the visit to be a serious, reckless and irresponsible provocation and by standing behind the one-China principle and supporting China in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity. More than 80% of the global population, people of close to 90% of countries in the world are standing by China’s side, by the right side of history and by the side of fairness and justice. Secretary Blinken claimed that all countries expect China and the US to manage differences responsibly and the US is determined to do so. If that really happens, it would be a return to the right path. But while we listen to his words, we must also watch the US actions. What the US must do first, is to fulfill its commitment on the Taiwan question to respecting China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, stop interfering in China’s internal affairs and stop conniving at and supporting “Taiwan independence” seperatist forces.

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