Is Taiwan part of China, Pompeo’s speech draws different responses from Taiwan and across the Taiwan Strait

United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s statement that “Taiwan has never been a part of China” has aroused great reactions in the international community. The two sides of the Taiwan Strait have expressed their positions one after another, with very different views.

Taiwan’s official position on Friday (Nov. 13) was to express its approval and gratitude for Pompeo’s remarks. Taiwan’s presidential spokesman Chang Thun-han said that morning, “We have taken note of the U.S. Secretary of State’s relevant remarks, the Republic of China is a sovereign country, this is an indisputable fact, we have 23 million friendly, freedom and democracy loving people in Taiwan and are happy to contribute to the international community.”

Chang added, “On both sides of the Taiwan Strait and the region, we have always maintained that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait should work together to maintain the status quo of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait based on the principle of reciprocal dignity, and we will also continue to do our international obligations well and contribute good to the peace, stability and prosperity of the Taiwan Strait and the region.”

Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Ou Jiang-an also expressed gratitude on the same day for Pompeo’s support for Taiwan and his affirmation of Taiwan’s democracy. She stressed that it is a fact and the status quo that the Republic of China on Taiwan is a sovereign and independent country and not a part of the People’s Republic of China.

Pompeo made the statement in a telephone interview with American radio host Hugh Hewitt on Thursday (Nov. 12). That telephone interview talked about a number of major diplomatic issues, involving the Trump administration to the Chinese Communist regime to take a series of measures, with particular reference to Taiwan.

Pompeo said, “Taiwan has never been a part of China, and that was recognized in the policy making that the Reagan administration did, policies that the United States has followed for thirty-five years now, and both administrations have done so.”

Pompeo added, “We should honor the commitments that were made, and we have a series of obligations. You saw our announcement of arms sales to Taiwan to assist in their ability to defend themselves.”

The late U.S. President Ronald Reagan offered “six guarantees” against Taiwan’s security in 1982. According to information declassified by the United States, the “six assurances” included the following: the United States would not agree to set a date for the termination of arms sales to Taiwan; would not agree to consult the People’s Republic of China on the issue of arms sales to Taiwan; would not assume a mediation role between Taipei and Beijing; would not agree to amend the Taiwan Relations Act; would not change its position on Taiwan’s sovereignty; and would not Pressure on Taiwan to negotiate with the People’s Republic of China.

China’s foreign ministry responded harshly to Pompeo’s remarks on Friday. At a regular press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said: “(China) urges the U.S. side to abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three joint communiques between China and the U.S., to cease any form of official U.S.-Taiwan contacts and military ties, to stop any words or actions that harm peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and China-U.S. relations, and not to go further and further down the wrong and dangerous path.” Wang added that China would retaliate against any “acts that harm China’s core interests and interfere in its internal affairs.

Wang added that China will counter any “acts that harm China’s core interests and interfere in its internal affairs”.

The Chinese mainland’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Zhu Fenglian said that “Pompeo has repeatedly made erroneous remarks on the Taiwan issue, which is a serious violation of the one-China principle and the three joint communiqués between China and the United States. Zhu Fenglian said, Pompeo’s “relevant remarks are contrary to the facts, contrary to the basic norms of the international community, and contrary to the commitments made by the U.S. government to China”.

Zhu Fenglian said, China believes that there is only one China in the world, Taiwan is an inseparable part of China’s territory, the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the only legitimate government on behalf of China.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian Affairs David R Stiwell (David R Stiwell) on August 31 this year at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C., organized the U.S.-Taiwan Economic Cooperation Network conference, said that Washington’s “one-China” policy and Beijing’s “one-China principle” are the same. “Different. He said that the Chinese Communist Party claimed sovereignty over Taiwan in accordance with the “one-China principle”, while “the United States does not take a position on Taiwan sovereignty”.

Stalin explained at the time: “The fundamental interest of the United States is that the Taiwan issue must be resolved peacefully, without coercion and in a manner acceptable to the people on both sides of the Strait, as Beijing has committed itself to do. At the same time the United States maintains broad, close, and friendly unofficial relations with Taipei, including a commitment under the Taiwan Relations Act to assist Taiwan in self-defense.”