April 25, 2024
HONG KONG – Beijing on Wednesday condemned the interference of the United States and Japan in the Taiwan question and called for non-support of “Taiwan independence”.
Zhu Fenglian, a spokeswoman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks at a press conference in Beijing regarding the recent approval by the US Congress of military assistance to Taiwan.
Expressing firm opposition to the act, Zhu said that the Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affair and does not tolerate any external interference.
She emphasized that the inclusion of Taiwan-related content in the US Congress’s bill seriously violates the one-China principle and the provisions of the three Sino-US joint communique, sending a wrong signal to the “Taiwan independence” separatist forces.
She urged the US to fulfill its commitment of not supporting “Taiwan independence” through practical actions and to cease arming Taiwan in any manner.
The spokeswoman also condemned Japan for its increasing intention to intervene in the situation in the Taiwan Strait.
The Japanese government recently reportedly designated 16 airports and ports in Hokkaido, Okinawa, and other areas as specific use airports and ports, and plans to revise and expand them, mainly due to concerns about Chinese maritime activities and contingencies related to Taiwan.
During the press conference, Zhu also said that the Chinese mainland will take proactive measures to promote exchanges and cooperation in various fields between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, including tourism.
Answering the inquiries about the mainland’s consideration of allowing residents to travel to Taiwan, the spokeswoman said despite some obstacles to cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation made by Taiwan authorities, with the joint efforts of people on both sides, cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation will have a bright future.
According to her, the number of people traveling between East China’s Fujian province and Taiwan has significantly increased this year. Since the beginning of this year, the number of Taiwan residents obtaining five-year Taiwan compatriot travel permits in Fujian has reached 90,000, a 56.4 percent increase compared to the previous period. The number of Taiwan compatriots obtaining one-time travel permits has doubled to 11,000 compared to the same period last year.