ALBAWABA - China "strongly" condemned the United States' decision to arrange a two-day "stopover" for Taiwan's Vice President Lai Ching-te on Sunday, calling him a "troublemaker through and through".
According to Beijing-based Xinhua News, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying, Beijing strongly opposes "any form" of formal cooperation between the US and Taiwan. "We firmly oppose the US government having any form of official contact with the Taiwan region," said Chunying.
"The fact once again shows that the fundamental cause of the continued tensions in the Taiwan Strait is the Taiwan authorities' attempt to solicit US support for ‘Taiwan independence’ and that the United States is bent on using Taiwan to contain China," she argued.
Lai arrived in New York on Saturday on his way to Paraguay, where he will be attending the inauguration of Paraguayan President Santiago Pena on August 15. Taiwan's lone South American diplomatic ally is Paraguay.
In a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), Lai said that he was happy to arrive at the Big Apple, the icon of liberty, democracy & opportunities.
The ministry also stated that Taiwan was the "core of China's core interests" and encouraged the US to defend the one-China concept, adding that it was "closely monitoring" developments and "would take resolute and strong measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity."
Lai's Stance from China
Lai has been far more vocal in advocating for independence than Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, whom Beijing already considers hostile because she refuses to recognize Beijing's stance that Taiwan is a part of China.
Lai described himself as a "pragmatic Taiwan independence worker," and told a local television station last week that Taiwan was "not part of the People's Republic of China (PRC)".
