BEIJING, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. State Department's statement on the election in China's Taiwan region seriously violates the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiqués, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Sunday.
It goes against the U.S.' own political commitment of maintaining only cultural, commercial, and other unofficial relations with the Taiwan region, and sends a gravely wrong signal to the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, the spokesperson said.
"We strongly deplore and firmly oppose this, and have made serious representations to the U.S. side," the spokesperson said.
The Taiwan question is at the very core of China's core interests and the first red line that must not be crossed in China-U.S. relations. The one-China principle is a basic norm in international relations, a prevailing consensus among the international community, and the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, according to the spokesperson.
The spokesperson said China firmly opposes the U.S. having any form of official interaction with Taiwan and interfering in Taiwan affairs in any way or under any pretext.
The spokesperson urged the U.S. to earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiqués and act seriously in accordance with the commitments that have been reaffirmed multiple times by the U.S. leaders to not supporting "Taiwan independence", "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan", and not seeking to use the Taiwan question as a tool to contain China.
The spokesperson said China urges the U.S. to stop interactions of an official nature with Taiwan and stop sending any wrong signal to the separatist forces for "Taiwan independence." ■