Beijing, 15 September (H.S.): China has strongly opposed any form of official contact between Taiwan authorities and countries that maintain diplomatic relations with China, warning that it would not allow any external force to interfere in its internal affairs.

According to China’s state-run news agency Xinhua, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun made the remarks during a regular press briefing on Monday. He was responding to a media report that some Panamanian lawmakers had recently formed a so-called “Panama-Taiwan Parliamentary Exchange Group”. According to the report, US lawmakers also participated via video link in the group’s launch event.

However, Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino said that the country’s foreign policy and external relations were determined by the executive branch, namely the government. He clarified that contact between lawmakers and Taiwan did not necessarily represent the support of the Panamanian government.

Guo Jiakun said there was only one China in the world and that Taiwan was an inalienable part of China’s territory. He appealed to certain politicians to understand the reality surrounding the Taiwan issue and warned that “crossing the line” on the matter could have serious consequences.

The Chinese spokesperson described the formation of the so-called parliamentary exchange group as a serious violation of the one-China principle. He said China had taken note of the statement by the Panamanian government and hoped that Panama would take concrete steps to uphold the political foundation of China-Panama relations and honour its commitment to the one-China principle.

China also issued a warning to the United States over the matter. Guo urged Washington to abide by the one-China principle and the three joint communiqués issued between China and the United States.

He called on the US to stop sending misleading signals to separatist forces advocating “Taiwan independence” and refrain from activities that interfere in or undermine China-Panama relations.

China has long opposed official contacts between Taiwan and other countries. Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory, while Taiwan’s government regards itself as a democratically governed entity. The issue has also remained a longstanding source of tension between China and the United States.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar