Taiwan not a pawn to be used: Chinese FM

BEIJING - Taiwan is a wanderer who will eventually return home, not a pawn to be used. China must be reunified and will surely be reunified, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Monday.

Wang made the remarks when delivering a speech at the opening ceremony of a symposium on the international situation and China's diplomacy in 2021 in Beijing.

The crux of the new round of tensions across the Taiwan Straits lies in the Taiwan authorities' attempt to solicit US support for "Taiwan independence" and the United States and certain countries' intention to use Taiwan to contain China. The connotation of the one-China principle is in danger of being blurred or even hollowed out, Wang said.

These perverse actions have changed the status quo in the Taiwan Straits, undermined the peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits, and violated the consensus of the international community and the basic norms of international relations, he added.

"In response, we issued stern warnings and took forceful countermeasures, deterring the arrogance of the 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces," Wang said.

Ten days ago, China resumed diplomatic relations with Nicaragua, bringing the total number of countries having diplomatic relations with China to 181. The one-China consensus has been further consolidated in the international community, Wang said.