In a diplomatic exchange that stirred tensions between China and Taiwan, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te extended warm congratulations to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his election victory via Twitter on June 5. President Lai expressed eagerness to bolster the burgeoning Taiwan-India partnership, emphasizing collaboration in trade, technology, and other sectors to foster peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.
In response, Prime Minister Modi thanked President Lai for his gracious message and expressed anticipation for closer ties, emphasizing the pursuit of mutually beneficial economic and technological partnerships.
However, China swiftly responded to the exchange, denouncing any official interactions between Taiwan and countries with diplomatic ties to China. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning reiterated the one-China principle, asserting Taiwan's status as an inalienable part of China's territory and stressing that there is no legitimate "president" of the Taiwan region.
"First of all, there is no such thing as “president” of the Taiwan region. As for your question, China opposes all forms of official interactions between the Taiwan authorities and countries having diplomatic relations with China. There is but one China in the world. Taiwan is an inalienable part of the territory of the People’s Republic of China. The one-China principle is a universally recognized norm in international relations and a prevailing consensus in the international community. India has made serious political commitments on this and is supposed to recognize, be alarmed about and resist the Taiwan authorities’ political calculations. China has protested to India about this," said Mao Ning.
The Chinese Embassy in India echoed similar sentiments, affirming Taiwan's status as part of China's territory and underscoring the sole representation of the People's Republic of China as the legal government.
Despite China's objections, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs rebuffed the criticism, asserting that cordial exchanges between democratic leaders should not elicit outrage. Taiwan reaffirmed its commitment to building partnerships with India based on mutual benefit and shared values, emphasizing the importance of fostering friendships through cooperation rather than intimidation.
"China’s outrage at a cordial exchange between the leaders of 2 democracies is utterly unjustified. Threats & intimidation never foster friendships. #Taiwan
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