(Beijing) China said on Tuesday it had complained to the United States over US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s congratulatory remarks to Taiwan’s new president, Lai Tsing-tae.
Mr. Trump, whom Beijing has called a “dangerous separatist” in the past Lai was sworn in on Monday.
In his congratulatory message, Blinken said he hoped Washington and Taipei would maintain “peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”
Beijing said on Tuesday the news “seriously violated the one-China policy”. […] sent a bad signal to separatist forces.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a press conference, “China is deeply dissatisfied and resolutely opposed to this move, and has retaliated strongly to the United States.
Beijing considers the democratically-ruled island part of its territory and has not ruled out using force to bring it under its control.
“The Taiwan issue is at the core of China’s core interests and is the first insurmountable red line in China-US relations,” Wang added.
While Washington has recognized Beijing as adverse to Taipei since 1979, it has been Taiwan’s most important partner and its main arms supplier.
China on Monday issued new sanctions against three US companies that sold arms to Taiwan.
Eight heads of state from the rare countries that recognize Taiwan attended the inauguration of Taiwan’s president on Monday, with dozens of delegates attending.
US representatives — including former National Economic Council director Brian Deese and former Secretary of State Richard Armitage — attended the ceremony in Taipei.
Beijing strongly condemned the delegations’ presence, saying it was “gross interference in China’s internal affairs” and “endangered peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait”.
“We strongly urge relevant countries and politicians to stop engaging in political manipulation on Taiwan-related issues, stop sending wrong signals to Taiwan separatist forces, and stop taking wrong actions against international goodwill,” Wang said.
