Mainland says US car plates to Taiwan not official ones

China's foreign ministry denied on Thursday that new car plates issued by the US to Taiwan's representative office in the US are diplomatic ones.

"The US side issued new car plates to Taiwan's representative office in the US, but this kind of plate is not the diplomatic one," foreign ministry spokesperson Hong Lei told a regular press conference.

"We have asked the US side to strictly follow the one-China policy and the principles of the three joint communiqués, abide by international law, avoid developing official ties with Taiwan, and make sure that the name, nature, function and activities of the Taiwan's representative office in the US are non-official ones so as to avoid any negative impact on Sino-US relations," Hong said.

Taiwan's Central News Agency (CNA) reported on Wednesday that Taiwan's representatives to the US finally enjoyed "the same treatment as diplomats from other countries" since their diplomatic relations were severed in 1979.

The new license plates start with the letter E without "Diplomat" being written on them whereas those plates given to other countries start with letter D, C, A or S with the word "Diplomat" inscribed.

Letter D stands for diplomats, C for consuls, A for "the Secretariat or officials of the Secretariat of the UN," and S for "foreign missions, official representatives assigned to the UN and family members."

The CNA presumed that "Letter E type is tailored for Taiwan, [although] the US State of Department has not clarified what E stands for."