Xi Jinping says ‘wishful thinking’ to expect Beijing to compromise on Taiwan
- Chinese leader makes first public comment since Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy
- Xi made the remarks in a meeting with European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen in Beijing on Thursday
“[The] Taiwan issue is the core of China’s core interests. The Chinese government and Chinese people will never agree to anyone making a fuss about the one China issue,” Xi said, according to a foreign ministry statement.
“Anyone who expects China to compromise on the Taiwan issue is [engaging in] wishful thinking and will only shoot himself in the foot.”
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, von der Leyen said the Taiwan issue had been discussed and she had told Xi that “the threat to use force to change the status quo is unacceptable. It is important that some of the tensions that might occur should be resolved through dialogue.”
A day earlier, Tsai and McCarthy were joined by a bipartisan group of 17 other US lawmakers at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley in what Beijing described as a “sneaky transit” by the Taiwanese leader and an attempt to engage in “official meetings”.
03:10
US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy meets Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, despite Beijing’s warnings
Like most countries – including Australia, Britain, and Japan – the US does not recognise Taiwan as an independent state. Washington, however, opposes any attempt to take the island by force.
McCarthy praised the bond between Taiwan and the US and said it was critical to maintain economic freedom, peace and regional stability. He added that the US must continue to sell arms to Taiwan on time.
Peace and democracy were facing unprecedented challenges, Tsai said during the meeting, which took place despite repeated warnings from Beijing that described it as a violation of its sovereignty.
Mainland China and Taiwan were split in 1949, when defeated Kuomintang forces fled to Taipei after a civil war which ended in victory for the Communist Party. Beijing has never ruled out the use of force to take the island and opposes official contacts and exchanges between Taipei and other nations.
Four agencies in Beijing, including the foreign and defence ministries, denounced the meeting between Tsai and McCarthy on Thursday, while aircraft carrier groups from US and Chinese forces were observed near Taiwan.
China, US carriers sail near Taiwan in wake of Tsai-McCarthy meet
The defence ministry said the People’s Liberation Army “maintains a high level of vigilance” and “resolutely defends national sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
On Friday, Beijing imposed further sanctions on Taiwan’s de facto envoy to the US Hsiao Bi-khim, banning her and family members from entering the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong or Macau.
Investors and firms related to Hsiao are also prohibited from cooperating with mainland organisations and individuals.
Beijing also imposed sanctions on the Prospect Foundation, a Taiwan-based think tank, and the regional Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats, accusing them of promoting an independence agenda for the island.
Just ahead of Tsai’s trip to the US, Honduras switched diplomatic ties from Taipei to Beijing.
