Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun

We hope that the ROK government will honor its political commitments, earnestly shoulder its responsibilities, and uphold the one-China principle with concrete actions, Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for Chinese Foreign Ministry, said on Thursday. 

The spokesperson's remarks were made in response to a question raised after the press conference on Thursday, asking for comments on that the Chinese exhibition team announced it will withdraw from the Gwangju Biennale in the ROK in strong protest against the organizer's wrongful practice related to Taiwan region. The Chinese embassy in the ROK has made a statement on that.

Guo said that the China-ROK joint communiqué on the establishment of diplomatic relations states clearly that "the government of the Republic of Korea recognizes the government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal government of China and respects China's position that there is only one China and Taiwan is part of China." The ROK side also clearly stated on many occasions this year that its commitment to the one-China position remains unchanged.

The organizer of the ROK Gwangju Biennale, however, has stubbornly clung to the wrongful practice, allowing China's Taiwan region to participate under a designation that is completely incompatible with its status. This is a grave violation of the one-China principle, Guo noted. 

China is firmly opposed to this and has lodged serious representations with the ROK side, demanding that the relevant party immediately correct its wrongdoings, Guo stressed. 

It's despicable for the DPP authorities to exploit occasions such as cultural exchanges, conferences and exhibitions to engage in political manipulation and make "Taiwan independence" provocations. Their political schemes are doomed to fail, the spokesperson said. 

Global Times