SOURCE: TIMES NOW
Amid reports that India and Taiwan may move ahead with planned trade talks, China has objected to the move and stated that it is opposed to any official exchange between New Delhi and Taipei.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry, in a statement, also advised New Delhi on how it should approach its relations with Taipei, while asking it to adhere to ‘One China principle’.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told a media briefing that “the ‘One China principle’ is a universal consensus of the international community, including India”.
Zhao asserted that China views its ties with other countries from the prism of other following the ‘One China principle’.
“It is also the political basis for China to develop ties with other countries. So, we firmly oppose any official exchanges between countries having diplomatic ties with China and Taiwan or signing any official documents,” the spokesperson said.
“The Indian side should remain committed to the ‘One China principle’ and approach Taiwan-related issues prudently and properly,” he added.
It may be recalled that India and Taiwan had inked a bilateral deal in 2018 on investment opportunities. This despite the fact that India and Taiwan do not maintain formal diplomatic ties.
China on Tuesday also reacted on Australia joining next month’s Malabar naval exercise with India, Japan and the United States.
“We have taken note of this development. We always believe that military cooperation between countries should be conducive to regional peace and stability,” Zhao said.
The coming together of the four navies follows on the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or QUAD, which is an informal strategic forum between the four countries. The grouping is also seen as an attempt by the four nations to check China’s control in the region.
