China criticizes Lai Ching-te's so-called stopover in US

China firmly opposes any visit by "Taiwan independence" separatists to the United States and rejects any form of official interaction between the US and the island, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

The Foreign Ministry made the remarks after reports said that deputy leader of China's Taiwan region Lai Ching-te set off for Paraguay on Saturday to attend the inauguration of the country's new president, and has arrived in New York for a "stopover".

China deplores and strongly condemns the US decision to arrange the so-called stopover for Lai, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said, adding that Beijing opposes the US government having any form of official contact with the Taiwan region.

China is closely following the developments of the situation and will take resolute and strong measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity, the spokesperson said.

Lai is a troublemaker who clings stubbornly to the separatist position for "Taiwan independence", the spokesperson said.

The US and the Taiwan authorities arranged for Lai to engage in political activities in the US in the name of having a "stopover", which violates the one-China principle and gravely undermines China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, the spokesperson said.

The fact once again shows that the fundamental cause of the continued tensions in the Taiwan Strait is the Taiwan authorities' attempt to solicit US support for "Taiwan independence" and that the US are bent on using Taiwan to contain China, the spokesperson added.

The Taiwan question is the core of the core interests of China, the bedrock of the political foundation of China-US relations, and the first red line that must not be crossed in China-US relations, the spokesperson reiterated.

The spokesperson urged the US to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques, deliver on its commitment of not supporting "Taiwan independence" or "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan".

Washington should stop all forms of official interaction with Taiwan, stop conniving at and supporting "Taiwan independence" separatist forces and their separatist activities, and stop fudging and hollowing out the one-China principle, the spokesperson added.