TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Saturday condemned Beijing’s territorial claim over Taiwan in a joint statement China signed with Cambodia.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet signed the statement with Chinese leader Xi Jinping (習近平) during a meeting in Phnom Penh on Friday. The document described United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 as “authoritative” and claimed that “Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory.”

MOFA rejected the claims, saying they deviated from the facts. It accused the Chinese government of repeatedly spreading “absurd claims” that undermine Taiwan’s sovereignty and expressed regret that Cambodia had aligned itself with China in belittling Taiwan’s status.

The ministry emphasized that UN Resolution 2758 only addresses the issue of China’s representation in the United Nations. It does not mention Taiwan and does not authorize the People’s Republic of China to represent Taiwan in any international organization, MOFA said.

MOFA reiterated that Taiwan is a sovereign and independent country and not subordinate to China. “Any attempt to distort the reality of Taiwan’s sovereign status is contrary to the facts and cannot alter the cross-strait status quo recognized by the international community,” it added.

MOFA called on the international community to jointly resist China’s continued misinterpretation of the resolution and its efforts to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait.

Last week, Cambodia deported 179 Taiwanese fraud suspects to China. The Cambodian foreign ministry said the move was in accordance with its laws and reiterated its adherence to Beijing’s "one China" principle.