China's top legislature issues statement on meeting between U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Tsai Ing-wen

The Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, on Thursday issued a statement in response to the meeting between U.S. congressional members including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and the Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen in the United States. The following is the full text of the statement:

On April 6, in disregard of China's strong opposition and solemn representation, U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other congressional members insisted on meeting with Tsai Ing-wen, who is on a "transit" trip through the United States. The move has gravely violated the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiques, seriously breached international law and the basic norms governing international relations, and severely undermined China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. China's National People's Congress firmly opposes and strongly condemns the move.

There is but one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. The Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. A series of international law documents, including the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation, have clarified China's sovereignty over Taiwan. Taiwan has no other status in international law than being part of China. The action of McCarthy, the third highest-ranking official of the U.S. government, has seriously broken the commitment made by the United States to China on the Taiwan question and sent seriously wrong signals to separatist forces seeking "Taiwan independence." It has trampled on historical facts and justice and damaged international rule of law.

China's sovereignty and territorial integrity brooks no violation or separation. The Anti-Secession Law, formulated and enacted by the National People's Congress, has clear stipulations on major issues, including adhering to the one-China principle, deterring secessionist activities seeking "Taiwan independence" and opposing interference by external forces in the Taiwan question. Any schemes for "using Taiwan to contain China" and for supporting or conniving "Taiwan independence" separatist forces are doomed to fail. Any acts "seeking independence by soliciting foreign support" and undermining national reunification are bound to be brought to justice.

The Taiwan question is at the very core of China's core interests, the bedrock of the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and the first red line that must not be crossed in China-U.S. relations. We resolutely oppose all forms of official interaction between the United States and Taiwan. We sternly urge the U.S. government and Congress to stop distorting, obscuring and hollowing out the one-China principle, cease the adventurist act of crossing the red line, and stop undermining the political foundation of China-U.S. relations.