Washington must stop its collaboration with the Taiwanese military and respect China’s core interests, Chinese Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia has said, calling the Taiwan issue vital for Beijing.
During a meeting with US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan in Beijing on Thursday, Zhang demanded that the US “stop its military collusion with Taiwan, stop arming it, and stop spreading false rumors related to it,” according to a transcript published by the Chinese Defense Ministry.
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Zhang added that the issue of Taiwan, which is seen by Beijing as an inalienable part of China, is “the political foundation of China-US relations” and the “number one red line that must not be crossed.” He emphasized that Beijing has always sought to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, but warned that this will not be possible if there is an attempt to separate Taiwan from the rest of the country.
“The mission and duty of the People’s Liberation Army of China is to resolutely oppose the supporters of the so-called independence of Taiwan and promote unification,” Zhang said. “We are obliged to resist the reckless provocations of the separatist forces.”
The vice chairman has also insisted that the US should “correct its strategic perception of China” and return to a “rational and pragmatic policy towards our country, respect its core interests in practice, jointly promote cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries and jointly bear the responsibilities of great powers.”
Zhang also recalled that in November 2023, at a summit in San Francisco, US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Xinping had “outlined the direction for the stable, healthy and sustainable development of US-China relations” and called on the American leadership to work together with Beijing to implement that consensus.
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“I hope that the United States will act in unison with China, make joint efforts to advance along the path of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation,” Zhang concluded.
Meanwhile, the Financial Times reported last week that Taiwan’s top foreign policy officials, including the island’s foreign minister and national security adviser, had traveled to Washington for secret meetings known as ‘special channel’ talks, which the two sides have reportedly held on a regular basis for years.
China has repeatedly expressed its opposition to contacts between Washington and Taipei and has accused the US of weakening the One China policy, which stipulates that Taiwan is an integral part of Chinese territory.