Chinese President Xi Jinping said to his US counterpart Joe Biden that the Taiwan issue should be “handled properly” so as to avoid any potential negative impact on the relations between the two countries, according to the Chinese state media, on Friday.
China claims self-ruled Taiwan to be its breakaway province and aspires to bring it back under China’s authority and has not ruled out the use of force if need be. The Chinese media stated Taiwan to be the most sensitive and important issue with respect to the Chinese relations with the United States.
The United States, which is looking for Beijing’s help in reestablishing peace in Ukraine after the ongoing Russian invasion that began on the 24th of February, has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan but is the country’s principal international supporter and arms supplier.
In a video call between the Chinese and the American Presidents, Xi said to Biden that some people in the United States are sending the wrong signals to the pro-independence forces in Taiwan, and that’s very dangerous.
“If the Taiwan issue is not handled properly, it will have a subversive impact on the relationship between the two countries,” Xi said.
Reports suggest that just hours before the Chinese and US presidents were scheduled for talks, China sailed its aircraft carrier through the Taiwan Strait, which was shadowed by a US Navy destroyer, USS Ralph Johnson.
A statement from the White House stated that President Biden has restated in the video call that US policy on Taiwan has not changed, and went on to emphasize that Washington will continue to oppose any unilateral changes to the existing conditions.
Over the past two years, China has ramped up its military activities near Taiwan to assert its sovereignty claims on the island country.
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry conveyed gratitude to Joe Biden for his stress on maintaining the status quo of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, as well as his unwavering support for Taiwan’s security.
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry asked China to take strong actions and condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Taiwan, which opposes the sovereignty claims made by China, has joined the Western nations in imposing sanctions against Russia and has also sent humanitarian aid for the Ukrainian refugees.
All parties should jointly support the Russia-Ukraine dialogue, at the same time the United States and NATO should also undertake talks with the Russian government to solve the principal essence of the Ukraine crisis, Xi said.
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