TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said the U.S. ought to come together with China on the Taiwan issue and respect the One China Principle.
2019 marks the 40th year of official relations between China and the U.S. Yahoo News reports that in view of the occasion, Wang accepted a special interview with Chinese state publication People’s Daily, in which he expressed that Taiwan has always been the most critical and sensitive issue between the U.S. and China, and that the “One China Principle” remains the foundation of their diplomatic relationship.
The establishment of official relations between China and the U.S. on Jan. 1 1979 is a juncture in history, Wang reportedly said, as it not only opened up new potential for exchanges between the two countries, but had a profound impact on the evolution of international relations across the world.
Wang said the U.S. must not forget the commitments it made 40 years ago in the name of peace and stability, and the pursuit of common interests. The state not be “confused” by temporary hitches, the minister said, and should “help bring prosperity to citizens of the U.S., China and the world from a new starting point.”
Wang added that although China and the U.S. have their difference and have faced contradictions, it does not mean they should now follow separate paths. Wang said sensitive issues ought to be resolved through constructive approaches, hard work and “assimilation.”
The minister suggested the U.S. continues to respect the One China Principle and the three accords signed between the two countries by resolutely opposing Taiwanese independence. The U.S. should also respect China’s sovereignty when it comes to Tibet and Xinjiang, he added, and should refrain from interfering in the domestic affairs of other countries.
The appeal comes at a sensitive time for China as trade frictions with the U.S. look unlikely to settle, and governments allied with the North American state become increasingly suspicious of China’s overseas activity.