03:26China: Beijing 'strongly protests and condemns' US for arranging Taiwanese president's transit visit
Chinese Foreign Ministry (MOFA) spokesperson Mao Ning condemned the US for arranging Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s layover visit to the country, despite China’s repeated warnings, during a daily press briefing in Beijing on Thursday.
"China strongly protests and condemns the United States for insisting on arranging Tsai Ing-wen's so-called stopover to the United States in disregard of China's solemn representations and repeated warnings," Mao Ning added.
The spokesperson told reporters that the visit "seriously violates the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communique, seriously damages China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and sends a seriously wrong signal to the Taiwan independence separatists".
Her remarks came after the Taiwanese President arrived in New York the day before, and reportedly also plans to meet US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.
The two scheduled stopovers in the US come during Tsai Ing-wen’s visits to Guatemala and Belize, two of the 13 countries that recognise Taiwan diplomatically.
In addition, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that Honduran President Xiomara Castro was welcome to visit China 'as soon as possible'.
“China welcomes Honduran President Xiomara Castro's visit to China as soon as possible, to draw a blueprint for the bilateral relations between the two countries with President Xi," said Mao Ning.
Honduras officially shifted its relations from Taiwan to Beijing, as announced by the country's Foreign Ministry on its Twitter account on Wednesday, saying that Castro is expected to visit China 'soon'.
The spokesperson also commented on Saudi Arabia joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as a dialogue partner, and the memorandum for setting up yuan clearing arrangements between China and Brazil.
03:26Chinese Foreign Ministry (MOFA) spokesperson Mao Ning condemned the US for arranging Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s layover visit to the country, despite China’s repeated warnings, during a daily press briefing in Beijing on Thursday.
"China strongly protests and condemns the United States for insisting on arranging Tsai Ing-wen's so-called stopover to the United States in disregard of China's solemn representations and repeated warnings," Mao Ning added.
The spokesperson told reporters that the visit "seriously violates the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communique, seriously damages China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and sends a seriously wrong signal to the Taiwan independence separatists".
Her remarks came after the Taiwanese President arrived in New York the day before, and reportedly also plans to meet US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.
The two scheduled stopovers in the US come during Tsai Ing-wen’s visits to Guatemala and Belize, two of the 13 countries that recognise Taiwan diplomatically.
In addition, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that Honduran President Xiomara Castro was welcome to visit China 'as soon as possible'.
“China welcomes Honduran President Xiomara Castro's visit to China as soon as possible, to draw a blueprint for the bilateral relations between the two countries with President Xi," said Mao Ning.
Honduras officially shifted its relations from Taiwan to Beijing, as announced by the country's Foreign Ministry on its Twitter account on Wednesday, saying that Castro is expected to visit China 'soon'.
The spokesperson also commented on Saudi Arabia joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as a dialogue partner, and the memorandum for setting up yuan clearing arrangements between China and Brazil.