Zhao Lijian  

China on Tuesday asked India to approach ties with Taiwan “prudently and properly”, and said it would “firmly oppose” any official exchanges between New Delhi and Taipei.

The statement from China’s Foreign Ministry came in response to reports that India and Taiwan were considering going forward with talks on a trade deal. India and Taiwan in 2018 already signed a bilateral investment agreement. India-Taiwan trade ties have expanded since, and Taiwanese firms are prominent investors in India, although India and Taiwan do not maintain formal diplomatic relations.

“The ‘One-China principle’ is a universal consensus of the international community, including India,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a daily briefing, when asked about the report on trade talks.

“It is also the political basis for China to develop ties with other countries. So, we firmly oppose any official exchanges between countries having diplomatic ties with China and Taiwan or signing any official documents. The Indian side should remain committed to the ‘One-China principle’ and approach Taiwan-related issues prudently and properly,” Mr. Zhao said.

The Chinese Embassy in Delhi raised with India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) the putting up of posters in New Delhi on October 10, wishing Taiwan “Happy National Day”, by a member of the BJP, including outside the Chinese Embassy. The posters were taken down following the complaint. The posters followed a note sent by the Chinese Embassy to around 250 journalists asking them not to refer to Taiwan as a “country” or a “nation” while covering an event to be organised by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre in India. The MEA responded to the note, saying “there is a free media in India, that reports on issues that they see fit”.

On Tuesday, China reacted guardedly to India’s announcement that Australia will join next month’s Malabar naval exercise with India, Japan and the U.S.

In a terse statement, Mr. Zhao said, “We have taken note of this development. We always believe that military cooperation between countries should be conducive to regional peace and stability.”

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