Colombo, August 4 (newsin.asia): Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe reiterates Sri Lanka’s commitment to the One-China policy as well as to the United Nations Charter principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations.
He made these remarks during a meeting with the Ambassador of China to Sri Lanka, Qi Zhenghong.
Taking to his official Twitter handle, President Wickremesinghe also stressed that countries must refrain from provocations that further escalate the current global tensions.
“During a meeting with H.E. Qi Zhenghong, Ambassador of China, I reiterated Sri Lanka’s firm commitment to the one-China policy, as well as to the UN Charter principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations. Mutual respect and non-interference in the internal affairs of countries are important foundations for peaceful cooperation and non-confrontation,” Wickremesinghe tweeted.
The One-China policy is a diplomatic acknowledgment of China’s position that there is only one Chinese government.
China claims sovereignty over the island of Taiwan and sees it as a breakaway province that needs to be reunified with the mainland. Under this policy, the countries recognize and maintain formal ties with China rather than with Taiwan.
The United States has abided by the policy and has acknowledged Beijing’s claim. However, China has been accusing the US of secretly supporting Taiwan.
President Wickremesinghe’s statement came after US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s recent visit to Taiwan on Tuesday, which she said demonstrates the solidarity of United States with the Chinese-claimed self-ruled island.
Lodging strong protest against the United States, China stressed that the US House Speaker’s visit seriously damages peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. It will also have a severe impact on the political foundation of China-U.S. and seriously infringes upon China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, China said further.
Pelosi, who is on a tour of Asia, had announced visits to Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and Japan. However, she made an unannounced stop in Taiwan, which was highly anticipated.
The US maintains that the visit is “not a violation of either any sovereignty issues or America’s longstanding “one-China policy.”
US and G7 Countries reiterate One China policy and appeal for restraint
The G7 foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union on Thursday released the following statement on the Taiwan issue:
“We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union, reaffirm our shared commitment to maintaining the rules-based international order, peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and beyond.
We are concerned by recent and announced threatening actions by the People’s Republic of China (PRC), particularly live-fire exercises and economic coercion, which risk unnecessary escalation. There is no justification to use a visit as pretext for aggressive military activity in the Taiwan Strait. It is normal and routine for legislators from our countries to travel internationally. The PRC’s escalatory response risks increasing tensions and destabilizing the region.
We call on the PRC not to unilaterally change the status quo by force in the region, and to resolve cross-Strait differences by peaceful means. There is no change in the respective one China policies, where applicable, and basic positions on Taiwan of the G7 members.
We reiterate our shared and steadfast commitment to maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and encourage all parties to remain calm, exercise restraint, act with transparency, and maintain open lines of communication to prevent misunderstanding.”
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