China strongly deplores the trade deal between the U.S. and Taiwan, and has made a representation to the U.S. side, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on June 2.
"China firmly deplores any form of official exchanges between countries that have diplomatic relations with the Taiwan province of China, including the negotiation and signing of any agreements with sovereign implications and official nature."
The trade deal violates the one-China principle, and is the latest example of the U.S. trying to hollow out the principle, Mao told a news briefing.
"The U.S. government insists on negotiating with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities on the so-called 21st Century Trade Initiative and insists on signing relevant agreements, which seriously violates the one-China principle and the three Sino-U.S. joint communiques. This is a serious violation of the U.S. commitment to maintain only unofficial relations with Taiwan. China is strongly dissatisfied with this and has lodged stern representations with the U.S."
Taiwan and the U.S. will sign the first deal under a new trade talks framework, both governments said on June 1, boosting ties between the two at a time of heightened tensions with China over the democratically-governed island.
Taiwan and the U.S. started talks under what is called the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade last August after Washington excluded Taiwan from its larger pan-Asian trade initiative, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework.
"The so-called initiative is nothing but a pretext for economic and trade cooperation from the U.S., using a baton of taking and seizing from Taiwan. It is a proxy for the Taiwan DPP authorities to betray the vital interests of Taiwan compatriots and enterprises and harm and sell Taiwan for their own gain. This is the latest example of the U.S. trying to hollow out the one-China principle," Mao Ning said.
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