The Chinese Embassy in Canada has formally condemned a joint statement released by Canada and the Republic of Korea (ROK) following their recent foreign and defense ministers' meeting.
The spokesperson for the embassy criticized the statement for \"blatantly pointing its finger\" at the Taiwan region and the South China Sea, labeling these issues as core interests of the Chinese mainland and accusing the statement of exaggerating the situation.
Addressing the Taiwan region, the spokesperson emphasized that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory and reiterated that the Taiwan question is a purely internal matter. They stressed that there is no room for external interference, stating, \"The greatest threat to cross-Straits peace is the 'Taiwan independence' separatist activities and foreign interference.\" The spokesperson called on relevant countries to abide by the one-China principle to contribute to regional peace and stability.
On the topic of the South China Sea, the spokesperson reaffirmed that the situation remains generally stable. China remains committed to resolving differences through dialogue and consultation with directly concerned countries. Highlighting the significance of the region, they noted, \"The South China Sea is one of the safest and freest maritime routes in the world, and there has never been any problem with the freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea.\" The Chinese side urged non-regional countries to respect the efforts of regional nations to resolve disputes through negotiation and to refrain from stirring up trouble.
Reference(s):
China condemns Canada-ROK statement on Taiwan region, South China Sea
cgtn.com
