October 26, 2023
Colombian President Gustavo Petro visited China from October 24 to 26 and met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on October 25. After the meeting, the two sides announced the establishment of a strategic partnership through a joint statement. In the statement, Colombia reaffirms its commitment to the “one China principle,” asserts that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, firmly backs the Chinese government’s efforts to achieve national reunification, and supports other false narratives commonly touted by the Chinese government. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of China (Taiwan) solemnly protests and condemns in the strongest degree the authoritarian CCP government for continuing to use statements made following meetings with leaders of other countries to maliciously disparage Taiwan’s sovereignty.
MOFA reiterates that the Republic of China (Taiwan) is an independent and sovereign nation, that neither the R.O.C. (Taiwan) nor the People’s Republic of China is subordinate to the other, and that the PRC has never governed Taiwan for a single day. These are internationally recognized facts and the objective status quo. No country can or has the right to deny the sovereignty of the Republic of China (Taiwan) through a joint statement.
MOFA calls upon the Colombian government not to follow China’s malicious deprecation of Taiwan’s sovereign status and instead clearly recognize that China continues to pursue its ambition of hegemony through the Belt and Road Initiative, plundering resources and causing numerous countries to sink into debt crises. Taiwan is a beacon for the democratic camp, and the government and people of Taiwan vow to unite in protecting national sovereignty. At the same time, Taiwan will also continue to contribute to global stability and prosperity by strengthening cooperation with democratic nations and striving to curb the expansion of authoritarianism.