(MENAFN) China has strongly condemned the trade agreement between the United States and Taiwan, asserting that it "gravely violates the one-China principle." In a press briefing held in Beijing, China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Mao Ning, expressed disapproval of the agreement, stating that it contradicts the US's commitment to maintaining only unofficial relations with Taiwan. The US has been expanding its engagements with Taiwan in recent years, which China considers a "breakaway province." This includes substantial arms sales and, most recently, the signing of a bilateral trade agreement between Washington and Taipei.
The trade agreement, known as the US-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade, aims to deepen economic and trade ties between the two sides. Taiwan's Office of Trade Negotiations issued a statement highlighting their intention to commence negotiations toward high-quality and economically meaningful trade agreements. However, Mao criticized the US, accusing it of exploiting Taiwan under the guise of trade cooperation through this initiative. She further suggested that the ruling Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan was offering the country to the US, enabling the US to undermine the one-China principle.
China's reaction reflects its longstanding position on Taiwan, considering it an integral part of its territory and opposing any actions that could be perceived as supporting its independence. The US, on the other hand, maintains unofficial relations with Taiwan while providing support in various forms. The trade agreement has further strained the already complex relationship between China and the US, adding to the ongoing tensions between the two major powers.
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