Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi Photo: VCG

The US should shoulder its international responsibility and obligations, and not make excuses for its mistakes, said Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu on Tuesday after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island of Taiwan last week despite China's strong opposition.

The US should not be surprised and frustrated that China has canceled and suspended cooperation with it in relevant fields as China had warned US in advance that Pelosi's Taiwan visit could cause a crisis and major disruption to exchanges and cooperation between the two sides, Ma said during an interview with China's state broadcaster CCTV.

The Taiwan question is China's core interests. The US side has seriously undermined China's core interests but still wants to seek cooperation with China. How can it be justified? Ma questioned.

As a responsible major country, China will, as always, take an active part in international cooperation on climate change and makes its own contribution to addressing global challenges, Ma stressed.

More than 170 countries and many international organizations have voiced their just voices, reaffirming their adherence to the one-China principle and their support for China's resolute efforts to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The president of the UN General Assembly and the secretary-general of the United Nations (UN) have made it clear that the UN will continue to adhere to Resolution 2758, the core of which is the one-China principle. What is the Group of Seven (G7) compared to 170 countries? Does anyone care what they say? Ma pointed out.

G7 members and the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy issued a statement last Wednesday that unjustly accused China of over-reaction over the Taiwan question after Pelosi visited the island of Taiwan.

"Clearly what they [China] are trying to do is salami slice their way into a new status quo," US' Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl also made provocative remarks on Monday, according to the US media reports.

The one-China principle is the consensus of the international community, and is the political foundation for China's exchanges with other countries and a red line that cannot be crossed. There is only one China in the world, Taiwan is a part of China, and the government of the People's Republic of China is the only legal government representing the whole of China, these principles are the basic norms governing international relations enshrined in UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 and the solemn commitments made by the US in the three China-US joint communiques. There is no room for ambiguity or arbitrary interpretation, Ma reiterated.

The US keeps saying that the one-China principle has not changed, but the fact is that the US has been distorting and hollowing out the one-China principle over the years. The US has launched Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances, which is a violation of international law and China has never accepted, Ma condemned.

According to the three China-US joint communiques, the US can only maintain unofficial cultural and commercial relations with the island of Taiwan. The executive branch, as well as the legislative and judicial branches, are all part of the US government. Pelosi is the No. 3 politician in the country, and even she herself admitted it was an official visit, Ma slammed.

The US has increased its collusion with the authorities and other secessionists on the island. All this shows that it is the US and the Taiwan secessionist forces that are undermining the one-China principle and changing the status quo in the Taiwan Straits, Wang Wenbin, spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry said on Tuesday. By deserting the one-China principle they are the culprit that have set off the terrible waves in the Straits. The Chinese people have the courage to be fearless in the face of evil spirits, the determination to unite as one, and the ability to firmly safeguard sovereignty and national dignity, Wang stressed.

Wang's response came after the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused China of seeking to change the status quo in the Taiwan Straits with military drills following Pelosi's visit to the island, US media reported.

Taiwan is part of China's territory and there is no "median line" in the Straits, Ma said on Tuesday. The Chinese military conducts military exercises and training in waters near the island, aiming to safeguard China's sacred sovereignty and territorial integrity. "Our measures are open and appropriate, in line with domestic law, international law and international practice, and beyond reproach," Ma stressed.

However, the US and its allies often go to the waters around China to provoke trouble, Ma said, noting that the US conducted hundreds of military exercises every year.

Facts have proved time and again that the US is the biggest destroyer of peace across the Taiwan Straits and the biggest troublemaker of regional stability. If the international community allows the US to behave in a wayward way, the UN Charter will become a dead letter, the law of the jungle will prevail, and the developing countries will suffer, Ma warned.