Nations' commitment to one-China principle lauded

China, on Wednesday, highly commended relevant countries' commitment to the one-China principle, which it said is fully consistent with international law and the basic norms governing international relations.

The remarks came after Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te canceled a planned visit to Eswatini, an inland country in southern Africa. The cancellation of Lai's visit, planned from Wednesday to Sunday, followed decisions by Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar to revoke overflight permits for his aircraft.

Both the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office reiterated broad international adherence to the one-China principle at their regular news conferences.

"All African countries, with the sole exception of Eswatini, have established diplomatic ties with China," Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said, noting that these 53 countries, together with the African Union, adopted the Beijing Declaration at the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

They have repeatedly said they firmly uphold the one-China principle: there is but one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, and the Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China, Guo said.

Noting that those countries firmly support all efforts by the Chinese government to achieve national reunification, he said China highly commends relevant countries' commitment to the one-China principle, which is fully consistent with international law and basic norms governing international relations.

"It's very clear that there's no longer a so-called 'Republic of China president' in the world anymore," Guo said. "Anyone who wears that false title is acting against history and will only invite disgrace upon themselves."

The spokesman said China's reunification is inevitable and that the one-China principle reflects "the arc of history and public opinion".

"No one can ever stop the eventual reunification of China," he said."Separatist attempts aimed at 'Taiwan independence' are futile and doomed to fail."

Zhang Han, a spokeswoman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said facts have once again proven that the one-China principle is "the prevailing trend, the greater good and the will of the people".

Zhang dismissed allegations from Democratic Progressive Party authorities in Taiwan that the Chinese mainland exerted "intense pressure" on certain countries, calling the claims slander, self-deception and malicious defamation, and an attempt to conceal their own predicament.

jihaisheng@chinadaily.com.cn