September 17, 2023
Following a meeting between Prime Minister Hun Manet of Cambodia and Chinese President Xi Jinping that took place during Prime Minister Hun’s state visit to China from September 14 to 16, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs published a Joint Communique between the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Royal Government of Cambodia that once again falsely claims that “Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory and China’s internal affairs” and that Cambodia “resolutely supports China’s every effort to achieve national reunification.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of China (Taiwan) strongly protests and condemns in the severest possible terms the authoritarian Chinese Communist Party government for continuing to disseminate malicious narratives that undermine the sovereignty of the R.O.C. (Taiwan) throughout the international arena, as well as the Cambodian government for its willingness to serve as a mouthpiece for the authoritarian CCP regime.
MOFA solemnly reiterates that the R.O.C. (Taiwan) is a sovereign and independent country and that neither the R.O.C. (Taiwan) nor the PRC is subordinate to the other. These are indisputable facts and represent the status quo acknowledged by the international community. China must recognize these facts.
MOFA once again urges the government of Cambodia not to follow China’s position of maliciously belittling Taiwan’s sovereignty. It should recognize at the earliest possible juncture that China’s authoritarian expansionist ambitions have a harmful effect on the region. Taiwan calls on Cambodia to adopt a spirit of pragmatism and openness and expand mutually beneficial economic and trade exchanges with Taiwan, so as to make contributions to regional peace and stability.