China has strongly reacted to the possibility of an official interaction between leaders from US and Taiwan in upcoming weeks.

The Democratic Progress Party’s authorities announced earlier this month that the Deputy Leader of Taiwan region William Lai will leave on August 12 for Paraguay to attend the president’s inauguration. Reports said he would “transit” in New York and San Francisco in the US on his way to and from Paraguay.

“China firmly opposes any form of official interaction between the US and the Taiwan region, and firmly opposes any visit by “Taiwan independence” separatists to the US in any name or under whatever pretext, and firmly opposes any form of US connivance and support for “Taiwan independence” separatists and their separatist activities,” a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a strongly-worded response to the query about the visit. 

The spokesperson declared that Taiwan question is at the core of China’s core interests and a red line that cannot be crossed.

“China urges the US to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, act on its leaders’ commitment of not supporting “Taiwan independence”, stop official interactions with Taiwan, stop upgrading its substantive exchanges with the region, stop sending wrong messages to separatist forces seeking “Taiwan independence”, and refuse to let William Lai “transit” the US,” the spokesperson stated.

The spokesperson said that China will closely follow the developments and take firm and strong measures to safeguard our nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The statement also told the DPP authorities that the idea of Taiwan’s independence was a ‘dead end’.

“Fawning on the US and selling Taiwan away will only harm the people of Taiwan, and any attempt to seek “independence” and make provocation in collusion with external forces is doomed to failure,” the spokesperson stated.