September 16, 2023
Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on September 15. After the meeting, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a Joint Statement between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Zambia on Establishing the Comprehensive Strategic and Cooperative Partnership. The text repeats the false claim that “Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory” and states that Zambia “firmly supports the Chinese government’s efforts to achieve national reunification.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of China (Taiwan) strongly refutes these baseless claims and solemnly condemns the authoritarian Chinese Communist Party regime for continuing to make statements on the international stage that undermine the R.O.C. (Taiwan)’s sovereignty. MOFA also denounces Zambia for complying with the authoritarian CCP regime.
MOFA reiterates that neither the R.O.C. (Taiwan) nor the PRC is subordinate to the other. Taiwan can only be represented by its democratically elected government chosen by the Taiwanese people through a free and democratic process. The international community has long recognized that neither democratic Taiwan nor authoritarian China is subordinate to the other. The CCP regime should recognize and respect this status quo and refrain from forcing other countries to accept its spurious “one China principle.”
China continues to make false claims such as “Taiwan is part of the PRC” and spread disinformation in the international community. This only makes the Taiwanese people more resentful of and averse to the CCP regime. It also shows the international community that China is guilty of heavy-handed behavior in intimidating other countries, undermining regional peace, and wantonly pursuing expansionist ambitions.