A decision to describe a Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement on Singapore’s Taiwan policy as “erroneous” was made because the city-state has its own “one China policy” and has not followed Beijing’s “one China principle,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Chung-kwang (田中光) said yesterday.
It has been a longstanding practice for the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to speak on other countries’ behalf concerning Taiwan, Tien said.
The latest example was a statement issued by the PRC after a meeting between Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (黃循財) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Peru on Friday last week, Tien said.
Photo: CNA
A Chinese foreign ministry statement after the meeting said that “Singapore fully understands the Chinese government’s position on the Taiwan question, opposes any form of Taiwan independence, and firmly abides by the one China principle.”
However, a separate statement issued by the Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs after the meeting said that “Singapore has a clear and consistent one China policy and is opposed to Taiwan independence.”
The difference between the two statements and Beijing replacing the phrase “one China policy” with “one China principle” was further proof of the PRC’s “disinformation warfare,” Tien said.
Earlier, lawmakers at a legislative session asked why Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) issued a statement on Saturday last week criticizing Beijing’s statement on the Xi-Wong meeting.
China’s statement concerning Taiwan was “unmistakably false,” the MOFA said.
Chang Ching (張競), a retired navy captain and a Taipei-based research fellow with the Society for Strategic Studies, ROC think tank, accused the MOFA of mischaracterizing the Singapore statement.
Singapore wrote that it followed “one China” and “opposed Taiwan independence,” Chang said, prompting lawmakers’ questions.
“The one China principle” is the position held by the PRC and the Chinese Communist Party that there is only one sovereign state under the name China, with the PRC serving as the sole legitimate government of that China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of that China.
Some countries that have diplomatic ties with the PRC have their own versions of a “one China” policy instead of following Beijing’s “one China principle.”
The “policies” generally do not overtly accept that Taiwan is a part of China, as is the case with the “principle.”
For example, the US says its “one China” policy is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three Joint Communiques and the “six assurances.”
“We oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side; we do not support Taiwan independence; and we expect cross-Strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means. We continue to have an abiding interest in peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” the US Department of State says on its Web site.
Singapore’s cross-strait policy is similar to that of the US, with Singapore’s leaders saying that the city-state maintains a “one China” policy and opposes Taiwanese independence.
It has ambiguous wording to describe its policy, except for a joint statement released by Singapore and the PRC in April 2000.
“Singapore recognizes that there is only one China and that Taiwan is part of China. The government of the Republic of Singapore recognizes the government of the People’s Republic of China,” the statement said.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or