Belarus was “oblivious to the international reality” when it said in a joint statement with China that it opposed Taiwan’s participation in international organizations that require statehood, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Anna Kao (高安) said yesterday.
The ministry “deeply regrets” that Minsk reiterated the position it had long held for the sake of “ingratiating itself with mainland China,” Kao said.
She said the statement revealed Minsk’s ignorance of the international reality and damaged Taiwan’s rights and interests.
As a sovereign nation that values freedom, the Republic of China (ROC) is entitled to apply for a seat in international organizations of concern to the rights and interests of its people, Kao said.
“The ministry will stick with this position without being disturbed by any comments made by an individual country with this regard,” she added.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko signed the joint statement on Sunday, the first of Xi’s three-day visit to the nation in Eastern Europe, pledging to combine strategies of development and boost comprehensive strategic partnerships.
The ministry has confirmed media reports that Minsk, in the joint statement, restated its support for the “one China” policy, including its opposition to Taiwan’s independence and to Taiwan’s admission into any international or regional organizations where statehood is a requirement.
The statement, posted on Chinese news Web sites, says that Belarus recognizes that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the People’s Republic of China, the only legitimate government representing the whole of China, and thus it would not have official contacts with Taiwan, would not sell weapons to Taiwan and would support any Chinese endeavors to realize unification.
According to the ministry, the statement was a repetition of a joint statement signed between Belarus and China in 2007 and another in 2013.
It came days after a meeting between Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) and Xi in Beijing on Monday last week, at which Chu said that both sides of the Taiwan Strait “belong to one China” and that the so-called “1992 consensus,” a formula that centers on the “one China” principle, could be expanded to international realms.
Commenting on the latest China-Belarus joint statement, KMT Legislator Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) said it is rare for China to have its stance on Taiwan written into a diplomatic statement.
Given that Taiwan has not sought to join international organizations that require statehood for membership in recent years, it could be seen as a “warning” for Taiwan not to pursue such bids after next year’s presidential election, Chiang said.
Earlier this year, China signed joint statements with Indonesia, Vietnam and Pakistan during Xi’s visits to the countries, in which the countries reconfirmed their support for the “one China” principle.
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