Amid tensions with US, China's Xi says 'will not tolerate' any interference in Taiwan

Amid the ongoing tension between Beijing, Taiwan and the United States, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned of repercussions if any country interferes in his "internal matter". The critical remarks from Jinping came on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Samarkand on Thursday. "No country in the world has the right to act as a judge on the Taiwan issue and Beijing will not tolerate any foreign interference," China Central Television quoted Jinping as saying during a meeting with Russian President Putin. He went on to say that Beijing is strongly against the separatist forces and added that no country has the right to either judge or support Taiwan's independence.

"China is strongly against the separatist forces that stand for ‘Taiwan’s independence’, as well as against foreign interference. No country has the right to act as a judge on the Taiwan issue," he added. Notably, this was the first meeting of both the leaders after Moscow initiated a full-fledged war against Ukraine in the last week of February this year. Both had a meeting during the opening ceremony of the 24th Winter Olympic Games.

Tension between China and Taiwan rose to unprecedented level after Pelosi's visit

The tension between Beijing and Taiwan advanced multiple folds last month when US Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei, despite staunch warnings from China. The government had warned Taiwan of a dramatic situation for allowing US Speaker Nancy Pelosi to visit Taipei. It sent 27 aircraft to Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ) hours after Pelosi's plane left Taipei. Also, it fired “precision missiles” in waters off Taiwan’s coasts as part of military exercises. Addressing a press conference following her visit, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying dubbed Pelosi's visit "unhealthy" for "democracy" and added that her visit only provoked and violated China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. However, Pelosi issued a statement describing her tour as a "strong statement that America stands with Taiwan." She said that her visit is part of broader travels in the Indo-Pacific, focused on security, prosperity and governance, on which Taiwan is a global leader.  

China-Taiwan tensions

Taiwan had split from China during the civil war that brought Mao Zedong's Communist Party to power and established the People's Republic of China in 1949. While the Communist Party gained control of the Chinese mainland in 1949, the Kuomintang-ruled government of the erstwhile Republic of China set up its government in Taiwan (officially called the Republic of China). Although the regions have been governed separately for more than seven decades, the Communist Party continues to claim sovereignty over Taiwan. Beijing has, on several occasions, stepped up military exercises around self-ruled Taiwan, which it considers its own territory under the One China policy.

Image: AP