Photo: Screenshot from Chinese Embassy in South Korea

Both China and South Korea opposed the seriously erroneous claims made by personnel from the "Taipei Mission in Korea" at a seminar hosted by an opposition lawmaker in South Korea, where they claimed that "the one China recognized by the South Korean government is not necessarily the People's Republic of China," according to a statement issued by the Chinese Embassy in South Korea on Tuesday.

Such a comment is sheer ignorance, which not only runs counter to the universally recognized norms of international relations, but also challenges South Korea's commitment to the one-China principle as enshrined in the joint communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations, said the statement. Both China and South Korea will never tolerate such a seriously erroneous statement and firmly oppose it, per the statement.

The joint communique signed in 1992 recognizes the government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legitimate government of China and respects the Chinese position that there is but one China and that the Taiwan region is part of China, according to the statement.

The Taiwan question is purely an internal affair of China and constitutes the core of China's core interests. Taiwan is a province of China. Any attempt to pursue "Taiwan independence" is an act of secession of Chinese territory, and any support for "Taiwan independence" constitutes interference in China's internal affairs. China resolutely opposes any country developing official relations with the Taiwan region or engaging in activities with official or political implications in any form, it said.

As members of the legislative body and representatives of public opinion, South Korean National Assembly members possess official status and significant political influence. China explicitly opposes interactions between South Korean National Assembly members and Taiwan authorities, or invitations extended to personnel from institutions from the island to participate in activities, according to the statement.

Any political forces attempting to play the "China card" for political gains will not succeed. Any attempt to interfere with or undermine China-South Korea relations by exploiting the Taiwan question will be rejected by the peoples of both China and South Korea, the embassy said.

At present, China-South Korea relations are ushering in new opportunities for improvement and development, with a markedly improved atmosphere of friendly cooperation between the two countries. 

Hopefully both sides will cherish this hard-won positive momentum, jointly implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, and promote the steady and sound advancement of the China-South Korea strategic cooperative partnership to greater heights, said the statement.

Global Times