Firm opposition to "Taiwan independence" serves common interests of China, U.S.: mainland spokesperson

BEIJING, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Firmly opposing separatist activities seeking "Taiwan independence" and maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait serve the common interests of both China and the United States, a Chinese mainland spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Zhang Han, spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks at a regular press conference in response to a question about recent discussion over the role of the Taiwan question in China-U.S. relations.

Reiterating that the Taiwan question is at the very core of China's core interests and the bedrock of the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, Zhang said that proper handling of the Taiwan question would help maintain overall stability in China-U.S. relations, while mishandling it could lead to confrontation or even conflict and push bilateral ties into a highly dangerous situation.

Zhang said Taiwan authorities led by Lai Ching-te have persisted in their separatist position and refused to recognize the 1992 Consensus, which embodies the one-China principle, while repeatedly making moves in pursuit of "Taiwan independence."

"It is the main source of disruption to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," Zhang said, calling on people on both sides of the Strait to work together to advance national reunification.

The Taiwan question stems from a full-blown civil war fought between the forces led by the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) about eight decades ago. In 1949, the remnants of the defeated KMT retreated to Taiwan, and the CPC founded the People's Republic of China (PRC).

The unresolved civil war and foreign interference have left the two sides of the Taiwan Strait in a prolonged state of political confrontation, though the fact that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory has never changed.

In a separate response to a question about remarks by a Taiwan politician, who accused the mainland of deliberately misinterpreting UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to prevent Taiwan from participating in international organizations, Zhang rejected the claims as a distortion of facts.

She said Resolution 2758 made clear that restoring the lawful rights of the PRC is essential both for the protection of the UN Charter and for the cause that the UN must serve under the Charter.

Zhang added that the Taiwan authorities' repeated attempts to distort and attack Resolution 2758 and challenge the authority of the UN and the postwar international order were bound to fail.

The UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 2758 in 1971 by an overwhelming majority, clarifying that the PRC government is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. This resolution, from the perspective of international law, completely eliminated possibilities of "two Chinas" or "Taiwan independence."