March 21, 2021
No. 033
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with People’s Republic of China (PRC) Director of the CCP’s Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs Yang Jiechi and State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on March 18-19 in Alaska. During the meeting, the two sides engaged in a heated exchange over fundamental issues such as the rules-based international order, democratic values, and matters concerning Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) notes that during and after the meeting, PRC officials made erroneous, distorted, and untruthful comments that China has sovereignty over Taiwan. These comments run contrary to the facts and violate the will of the Taiwanese people. MOFA stresses that the Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign and democratic country, whose sovereign rights belong to the 23.5 million people of Taiwan, and that only the people of Taiwan can determine the future of Taiwan. The People’s Republic of China has never governed Taiwan, which exists independently in the international community. This has long been the reality as well as the status quo between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. Regardless of how the Chinese government presents a distorted view on Taiwan, it cannot change this reality. The people of Taiwan will only stand stronger in upholding their sovereignty and democracy, and continue to work with like-minded democracies to safeguard and enhance peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. (E)