By Amin Kef-Ranger
In an exclusive interview conducted by this medium on the 3rd August, 2022, the Chargé d’affaires ad interim of the Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone, Li Xiaoyong, stated that on the 2nd August, the Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi’s brazenly went ahead with her visit to China’s Taiwan region with deaf ears of China’s firm opposition and strong position.
According to him such a move sends a very wrong signal to “Taiwan independence” separatist forces maintaining how it is a serious violation of the One-China principle and the provisions in the three Sino-US Joint Communiqués.
He continued that it deals with a serious blow to the political foundation of China-US relations, seriously infringing China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and seriously undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
Li Xiaoyong underscored that as State Councilor and Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, said it proves once again that some U.S. politicians have become “troublemakers” of China-U.S. relations, and that the United States has become the “biggest destroyer” of peace across the Taiwan Strait and for regional stability.
He intimated how there is but one China in the world and 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 at the core of the one-China principle, and has become the consensus of the international community and a basic norm in international relations,” he furthered adding how in October 1971, the 26th session of the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 2758, which decided to “restore all its rights to the People’s Republic of China and to recognize the representatives of its Government as the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations, and to expel forthwith the representatives of Chiang Kai-Shek from the place which they unlawfully occupy at the United Nations and in all the organizations related to it.”
He pointed out that to date, 181 countries around the world, including the US, have established diplomatic relations with China on the basis of the one-China principle.
The Chargé d’affaires ad interim of the Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone informed this medium that the one-China principle is the centerpiece of the three Sino-US Joint Communiqués and the premise and foundation for the establishment and development of diplomatic relations between China and the US.
He stated how in 1979, the US made a clear commitment in the Sino-US Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations that “the United States of America recognizes the Government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal Government of China” and “within this context, the people of the United States will maintain cultural, commercial and other unofficial relations with the people of Taiwan.”
Li Xiaoyong expressed the view that the US Congress, as part of the US Government, is obliged to strictly follow the one-China policy of the US Government and not engage in any official interactions with China’s Taiwan region.
He said Pelosi is the incumbent Speaker of the US House of Representatives and ranks second in the US presidential line of succession saying her visit to Taiwan, in whatever form, under whatever pretext and at whatever time during her tenure, would be a serious violation of the one-China policy as committed by the US Government, mark a major political provocation upgrading the official interactions and substantive relations between the US and Taiwan, and signal connivance and support for “Taiwan independence” separatist forces.
According to him, the world has seen very clearly that it is the US’s provocations that have led to the escalation of tensions in the Taiwan Strait adding that the US should and must take full responsibility for it.
He said Secretary of State, Blinken’s words confound black with white and have once again revealed the hegemonic mindset and extortionist logic of some people in the US maintaining that the US is essentially saying to them that, “I can make provocations against you as I please, but you cannot reject them or act in self-defense.”
“As I just mentioned, in 1979, the US Government made a clear commitment in the Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations,” he recalled highlighting that any US Government institution, Executive, Legislative and Judicial alike, must act on the foreign policy recognized and committed to by the US Government.
He claimed that the wrongful actions of certain US politicians in the past do not constitute a precedent and still less should they become an excuse for the US to repeat its mistake on the Taiwan question.
Li Xiaoyong said according to John Kirby, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the White House, the US has seen no evidence of looming Chinese military activity against Taiwan.
He said in recent years, the US has claimed that it is committed to the One-China policy, but action-wise, it has been backtracking, and even blurring and hollowing out the one-China principle.
Li Xiaoyong disclosed that the US has inserted into its characterization of the One-China policy the so-called “Taiwan Relations Act” and the “Six assurances”, which were unilaterally concocted and have never been recognized and have been firmly opposed to by China.
He also revealed how the US has also gone against its commitment of maintaining non-official ties with the Taiwan region saying it has upgraded its level of contact with Taiwan and has steadily increased arms sales to Taiwan.
The Chinese diplomat maintained that many people with insight both within and outside the US have seen that very clearly maintaining how they have repeatedly pointed out the danger of US actions.
He said according to former US Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, who said at this year’s World Economic Forum, “my understanding of the agreement has been that the US would uphold the principle of One China”, “I think it’s essential that these principles be maintained”, and “the US should not by subterfuge or a gradual process develop something of a two-China solution”.
Li Xiaoyong added that after news came out about Pelosi’s potential visit to Taiwan, many people, including those from mainstream media and think tanks in the US and former political leaders of some US allies, have publicly said that whatever reason Pelosi uses to visit Taiwan, it would be foolish, dangerous, and unnecessary; that it would be a dangerous gamble; that it would be hard to imagine anything more reckless and provocative than this; and that if the US side misjudges or mishandles the cross-Strait situation, it will lead to disastrous consequences for the Taiwan region and even the security, prosperity and order of the entire world.
He said it is the US side that has kept distorting and hollowing out the One-China policy, making irresponsible remarks and creating factors of tension on the Taiwan question.
“The US has recently begun to emphasize the importance of upholding all countries’ sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said expressing hope that the US will honor those words first and foremost on the Taiwan question and refrain from applying double standards.
Li Xiaoyong concluded by stating that the position of the Chinese Government and People on the Taiwan question is consistent adding that resolutely safeguarding China’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity is the firm will of the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people.
He said achieving full reunification of the motherland is a shared aspiration of all Chinese people adding how China and Sierra Leone are time-honored friends and have been understanding and supporting each other on major issues of core concern.
The Chargé d’affaires ad interim of the Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone concluded that China highly appreciates the Sierra Leonean Government’s long-time support for the One-China principle adding that the Chinese side believes that Sierra Leone will understand China’s just and rational countermeasures against the visit.
