Latest news with #OneChinaPrinciple
Al Arabiya
a day ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Trump says Xi told him China would not invade Taiwan during his presidency
US President Donald Trump said Friday that Chinese President Xi Jinping assured him China would not invade Taiwan while Trump is in office. Trump told Fox News that Xi made the pledge directly, saying: 'He told me, 'I will never do it as long as you're president.'' Trump added that Xi emphasized China's patience, remarking: 'But I am very patient, and China is very patient.' The Chinese Embassy in Washington called Taiwan 'the most important and sensitive issue' in China–US relations, urging Washington to adhere to the one-China principle and safeguard stability across the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan, which rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims, reiterated that its security cannot rely on 'the enemy's promise' or solely on outside support. A senior Taiwanese lawmaker said strengthening the island's own defense was fundamental, while also welcoming continued US backing.
The Independent
08-08-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
China warns Philippines ‘playing with fire' after Marcos signals role in Taiwan conflict
China warned the Philippines was 'playing with fire' after president Ferdinand Marcos Jr suggested his country would be drawn into any conflict between Beijing and Taiwan. "If there's an all-out war, then we will be drawn into it,' Mr Marcos told Indian media outlet Firstpost on Wednesday during a state visit to the South Asian country. He said his country's closeness to Taiwan and the large Filipino community there would make involvement necessary. "There are many, many Filipino nationals in Taiwan and that would be immediately a humanitarian problem,' he said. "We will have to go in there, find a way to go in there, and find a way to bring our people home." There are some 200,000 Filipinos in Taiwan, according to the Manila Economic and Cultural Office, the de facto embassy of the Philippines in Taipei. Beijing reacted strongly saying the Philippines had 'kept making wrong and provocative remarks and actions, kept fudging and hollowing out the One China Principle, and kept harming China-Philippines relations '. The foreign ministry said, in a statement on Friday, that ''geographical proximity' and 'large overseas populations' are not excuses for a country to interfere in the internal affairs of others". Such arguments, it added, "not only violate international law and the Asean charter but also undermine regional peace and stability and the fundamental interests' of the people of the Philippines. "We urge the Philippines to earnestly adhere to the One China Principle,' the ministry said, 'and refrain from playing with fire on issues concerning China's core interests." The Philippine leader's remarks came amid rising tensions between Manila and Beijing in the South China Sea, especially over disputed areas like the Second Thomas Shoal and the Scarborough Shoal. The tensions have been brewing for several years but have escalated significantly since 2022. Both sides have traded allegations of violent clashes and aggressive manoeuvres in recent years involving their coastguard personnel and maritime militias, prompting the US to reaffirm its commitment to defend the Philippines. In a statement on Friday, the foreign ministry in Manila said Mr Marcos had only reiterated his country's 'longstanding position on the importance of peace and stability in Taiwan and the peaceful settlement of differences'. Manila still honoured the One China Policy, it said, but called for dialogue, regional stability and the peaceful settlement of differences between Taiwan and China. Xi Jinping wants to 'reunify' the island with the mainland, by force if necessary. The Taiwanese people seem to largely favour the status quo which gives them de facto independence.
Toronto Sun
28-07-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
China takes out newspaper ads issuing warnings to Canada on Taiwan
The ads, purchased in the Ottawa-based newspaper The Hill Times, consist of op-ed columns written by Chinese Ambassador Wang Di Flags of China (top) and Taiwan (GettyImages) OTTAWA — Taiwan's ambassador to Canada has dismissed a series of full-page newspaper ads taken out by the Chinese Embassy as little more than sabre-rattling over the communist regime's claims over the east-Asian nation. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The ads were published in The Hill Times — a twice-weekly Ottawa-based newspaper covering the goings-on at Parliament Hill — and clearly draw a bold, red line under China's position on Taiwan, continuing China's tendency towards hard-handed 'wolf-warrior' diplomacy. 'If their position is already the norm of world politics, if they consider the 'One China Principle' as universal and accepted by most countries, why on Earth do they need to use this to promulgate it?' Taiwanese Ambassador Harry Tseng told the Toronto Sun. 'Obviously they are perhaps doubtful of what they claim — that the 'One China Principle' is a universal principle that every country should abide by.' Taiwan's history is complex, beginning when Chiang Kai-shek and his republican government fled the mainland to Taiwan in 1949 at the end of the Chinese civil war. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In 1971, UN Resolution 2758 recognized the People's Republic of China as the 'only legitimate representative of China to the United Nations,' a move that saw Taiwan kicked out of the UN and its ancillary organizations. Harry Tseng, Taiwan's ambassador to Canada, in his Ottawa office on Friday, Nov. 15 2024. Photo by Bryan Passifiume / Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network In the decades since, Taiwan emerged as a democratic and free nation, a world leader in high technology and chip making. But despite holding democratic elections and issuing its own currency and passports, Taiwan exists in a diplomatic no-man's land — with any nation hoping for diplomatic relationship with the PRC forced to not recognize Taiwanese sovereignty and accept Beijing's assertion the they are the only 'China' in the region. The first ad appeared in the July 2nd edition of the Hill Times with the headline 'The One-China Principle is indisputable, and the victory of WWII must not be tampered with.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The ad, essentially a paid-for op-ed by China's ambassador to Canada — Wang Di — describes Taiwan as an immutable part of China, promising attempts by 'Taiwan separatists' to halt an eventual reunification are bound to fail. 'Complete reunification is a shared aspiration of the Chinese nation,' Wang wrote in the letter. 'It is an inevitable trend and what the greater national interests entail. No one and no force can ever stop it.' Ad published in the Hill Times by China's ambassador to Canada Wang Di Photo by screenshot While Wang maintains reunification will be peaceful, he warned the world not to stand in China's way. 'We will absolutely never allow Taiwan to be separated from China,' the letter continued. 'All necessary measures in response to the provocations and coercion of the 'Taiwan independence' forces are acts of justice to safeguard our national sovereignty and territorial integrity and to thwart attempts to divide the country. No external interference will be allowed in this process.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. A second ad, published on July 16, reads more like the usual public relations one would expect from a foreign embassy — with Wang celebrating a recent open house and last month's Ottawa dragon boat festival. Recommended video Ambassador Tseng mused with amusement that his Chinese counterpart must have had extra money to spend on advertising. 'I see no positive effect at all for publishing this,' he said with a smile. 'It's all the same; it's been the same for years.' Ties between China and Canada have grown frosty over the years, particularly following the December 2018 abduction of Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig — retaliation for Canada's lawful detainment of Chinese executive Meng Wanzhou on a U.S. extradition request. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In recent years, China's stepped up cyberattacks and interference campaigns against Taiwan, with 2.4 million Chinese attacks on Taiwanese networks in 2024. China is also responsible for sabotaging Taiwanese undersea cables in the disputed Taiwan strait, with four cut cables reported so far this year. Canada's has long been a target of Chinese meddling, including intimidation of Canadian politicians like MPs Michael Chong and Kevin Vuong, and implicated by Canadian intelligence services of interfering in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. China also operated a series of clandestine police detachments within Canada, targeting both Chinese nationals and Canadian citizens for investigation and intimidation campaigns. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Alan Kessel, a senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and a former Canadian diplomat, said the ads were an attempt by Beijing to control the narrative. 'One message implies closer ties, while the other draws a red line around Taiwan, signalling the price of engagement,' he told the Sun, describing the ads as a coordinated attempt to influence Canada's public and political discourse. 'It's all about shaping Canada's policy with respect to Taiwan — one ad projects warmth and a desire to improve relations, while the other is just rigid, ideological red lines over Taiwan, implying that engagement with Canada comes with conditions.' With Prime Minister Mark Carney replacing predecessor Justin Trudeau, Kessel said Canada needs to pursue a China policy grounded in Canadian values, and not dictated by foreign authoritarian sensitivities. 'That means rejecting coercion, resisting influence operations and affirming that our decisions on Taiwan or any other issue are not shaped in Beijing, but Ottawa.' bpassifiume@ X: @bryanpassifiume Read More Sports Columnists Sunshine Girls Toronto & GTA Toronto & GTA
CNA
01-06-2025
- Business
- CNA
China slams Hegseth speech, accuses US of seeking to use Taiwan issue as 'leverage' against Beijing
SINGAPORE: China warned the United States against using Taiwan as "leverage" against Beijing, responding to remarks by the US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Shangri-La Dialogue. On Saturday (May 31), Hegseth characterised China as an imminent threat and criticised its actions in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea. "The US should never imagine it could use the Taiwan question as leverage against China," said a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson in a statement issued early Sunday morning (Jun 1). "The US must never play with fire on this question." The statement was a direct response to Mr Hegseth's speech delivered on Saturday morning at Asia's premier defence summit in Singapore, in which he warned that China was "credibly preparing" to use military force and urged regional allies to increase defence spending. "The threat China poses is real, and it could be imminent," Hegseth said. China, in turn, accused the US of escalating tensions and undermining peace in the region. "No country in the world deserves to be called a hegemonic power other than the US itself," the foreign ministry said, pointing to American deployments in the South China Sea and its Indo-Pacific strategy as destabilising moves that have turned the region into a "powder keg". It also reiterated that the Taiwan issue is purely China's internal affair, calling on Washington to cease support for "Taiwan independence" forces and fully adhere to the One-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques. Hegseth's address marked his first appearance at the Shangri-La Dialogue as defence secretary under the Trump administration. He warned that any attempt by Beijing to seize Taiwan would have "devastating consequences for the Indo-Pacific and the world," echoing President Donald Trump's assertion that China would not invade Taiwan "on his watch." In a separate panel on Saturday afternoon, China's representative Rear Admiral Hu Gangfeng rejected what he described as "groundless accusations" made by other speakers at the forum, calling them "politically motivated" and aimed at provoking conflict. Hu, leading a delegation from the PLA's National Defense University, criticised foreign military deployments near China's waters and reiterated Beijing's opposition to "unilateralism" and "hegemonic bullying". The foreign ministry's statement struck a similar tone, describing Hegseth's speech as filled with "provocations" and warning that Washington's actions are "deliberately destroying the peaceful and stable environment cherished by the region". On the South China Sea, China said there was "no problem" with freedom of navigation and accused the US of being the true disruptor. "China has always been committed to dialogue and consultation," the statement said, while asserting its sovereignty over contested maritime areas. China did not send Defence Minister Dong Jun to this year's forum, the first time since 2019 that Beijing will not be represented by its defence chief.
News24
08-05-2025
- Business
- News24
Western Cape MEC's Taiwan visit unleashes opposition party fury
A heated debate unfolded in the Western Cape legislature over MEC Ivan Meyer's Taiwan trip, which led to sanctions by China. Meyer was banned from entering China, Hong Kong and Macao for violating the One China principle. Opposition parties claimed Meyer's actions risked crucial trade agreements with China. A ruckus broke out during a Western Cape legislature sitting on Thursday over MEC for Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism Ivan Meyer's trip to Taiwan, which led to sanctions from China. Meyer was barred by China in December last year from entering China, Hong Kong and Macao with his family for violating the One China principle, which demands countries recognise Taiwan as part of China and avoid formal relations with Taiwan. The Chinese government further criticised Meyer's trip as interference in its internal affairs. The sanctions also prohibit meaningful economic exchanges between Meyer and Chinese citizens. Opposition parties accused Meyer of putting crucial trade agreements between China and the province in jeopardy. Leading the charge, ANC provincial leader in the legislature, Khalid Sayed, asked Premier Alan Winde whether Meyer would be held accountable. 'Whatever MEC Meyer does reflects on the position that he holds; hence, he takes an oath of office. The undeniable facts available are that the recent visit to Taiwan by MEC Meyer does in fact run the risk of jeopardising and straining the Western Cape's, and indeed South Africa's, vital diplomatic trade and investment relations with the People's Republic of China, especially considering South Africa's official foreign policy position regarding the One China policy,' he said. In response, Winde told members of the provincial legislature (MPLs) that Meyer's trip to Taiwan was not an official engagement conducted on behalf of the provincial government or any of its entities. 'It was conducted strictly in his personal and private capacity and not as a member of this government. I've been informed that at no time did MEC Meyer suggest that he made the trip as a representative of this government, nor did he attempt to suggest any endorsement of the trip on this government's behalf,' he said. Winde further said the province values its ties to the People's Republic of China. The ANC has consistently criticised the DA over Meyer's trip. Two weeks ago, the ANC caucus left the provincial legislature after its member, Rachel Windvogel, was kicked out after she refused to apologise for saying that Meyer had 'betrayed' the country by visiting Taiwan. DA MPL Benedicta van Minnen hit back at Sayed, accusing him of having 'selective amnesia'. 'Just eight days ago, the honourable member (Sayed) shared a picture on X of himself engaging with Russian representatives, recklessly risking our trade relations with Europe and the United States. Such actions threatened vital agreements like AGOA (African Growth and Opportunity Act), which underpin key industries and thousands of jobs. Yet today he rises to launch a frivolous and deeply inaccurate interpolation, levelling baseless accusations against MEC Meyer, ironically for the very conduct of which he himself is guilty of,' she said. Van Minnen was referring to when Sayed joined the Russian consulate for a reception on the occasion of the arrival of the iconic Kruzenshtern Russian ship in the port of Cape Town. ACDP leader Ferlon Christians accused the ANC benches of misleading the residents of the province. 'This topic is repeated, and I think the ANC is causing more damage by misleading the people. I want to say to members of this House that when they visit countries in their private capacity, they must do so. Member Windvogel must still apologise,' he said. Windvogel shouted, 'I will never do that'. GOOD party MPL Brett Herron said Meyer's foremost duty was to protect and advance the economic interests of the province. He asked: He also wondered 'what exactly happened, or how egregious his behaviour was' to have led to a ban if the MEC had visited Taiwan in a personal capacity. 'Being banned from engaging directly with Chinese officials and business representatives places MEC Meyer in a compromised position. 'It limits his ability to build relationships, attract investment, and promote trade, all of which are critical functions of his portfolio,' said Herron. Meyer was not present during the legislature sitting. Comment from him will be added once received.
