Recently, the US side has been making irrational excuses and spreading lies and slanders with regard to Pelosi's provocative visit to China's Taiwan region. Certain countries and forces have joined the US in spreading at their will false information and lies. To clarify facts and distinguish right from wrong, the Chinese Embassy hereby further elaborates on China's position as follows:

Firstly, we want to stress that the definition of the one-China principle is crystal clear and the applicability of this principle is universal, unconditional and indisputable. The one-China principle is an universal consensus of the international community and widely accepted basic norm in international relations. It constitutes part of the post-WWII world order and is affirmed in UNGA Resolution 2758. It is the political foundation for the establishment and development of diplomatic relations between China and other countries in the world. Certain countries like the US have unilaterally added preconditions and provisos to the one-China principle in an attempt to distort, fudge and hollow out the one-China principle. This is in effect challenging the basic principles of international law and basic norms governing international relations. This is also a challenge to the post-WWII world order. It’s illegal, null and void, and will never have its way.

Secondly, we’d like to point out that it is the US that changes the status quo and escalates the situation across the Taiwan Strait. It is also the US that makes unreasonable provocations and irresponsible moves. The US side has made mistakes in three aspects. First, the US has wantonly interfered in China's internal affairs. Since four months ago, China has time and again made clear to the US through multiple channels and at various levels our stern position on Pelosi’s visit to the Taiwan region. But the US side disregarded all this and insisted on arranging the third highest-ranking official of the US government to pay the so-called "visit" to China's Taiwan region. Taiwan has never been a country. There is only one China in the world and both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one and the same China. This has not only been the status quo of Taiwan since ancient times, but also the public political commitment made by the US side decades ago. Therefore, the US side's act is a serious infringement on China's sovereignty. Second, the United States connived at and supported the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces. Any country must safeguard its national unity and not allow separatist forces to act recklessly. The ruling Democratic Progressive Party in the Taiwan region has explicitly included the pursuit of "independence" in its party agenda, and since coming to power in the Taiwan Region, it has continuously sought "incremental independence", pushed forward “de-sinicization” and attempted to create "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan" whenever it had the chance, blatantly changing the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. By publicly emboldening and siding with the separatist forces, Pelosi has made herself an enemy of the Chinese people. Third, the US deliberately sabotaged peace across the Taiwan Strait. The typical US playbook is to first create a problem, and then use that problem to achieve its own strategic objective. Signs show that the US is trying to repeat its old tricks by orchestrating Pelosi's sneaky visit to Taiwan, with the attempt of taking the opportunity to beef up its military deployment in the region, which deserves high vigilance and resolute resistance from all sides.

Thirdly, we need to make it clear that the Taiwan question is fundamentally different from the Ukraine crisis. They are not comparable at all. The Ukraine crisis was triggered by the US. Instead of drawing lessons from the crisis, the US has tried to link the Taiwan question to the Ukraine crisis. We are firmly opposed to that. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, and the Taiwan question is entirely China's internal affair. Since the US and certain countries claim that they emphasize respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity, then they should apply this principle to the Taiwan question and give up double standards. We do not accept anyone who steps on China's red line on the Taiwan question and undermines China's sovereignty and territorial integrity on one hand, while demanding respect for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity on the other hand. The US has always been good at stoking tension and provoking troubles. Preliminary numbers show that between the end of the Second World War and 2001, there were 248 armed conflicts in 153 regions across the world, among which 201 were initiated by the US. Since 2001, wars and military operations launched by the US have resulted in over 800,000 deaths and tens of millions displaced from home. After starting so many illegal wars and killing so many civilians to preserve its hegemony, the US is now creating troubles in the Taiwan Strait. How could we possibly allow this to happen?

Fourthly, China's just act of safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity has won wide support from the international community. No country or force can stand in the way of China's reunification. More than 170 countries in the international community have voiced staunch support for China on the Taiwan question on various occasions. They form an overwhelming majority versus the US and its few followers. By visiting Taiwan, Pelosi has made six mistakes: reneging on past commitments, trampling the rule of law, undermining peace, meddling in China's internal affairs, political manipulation and abusing power for selfish purposes. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced countermeasures in response, including canceling China-U.S. Theater Commanders Talk, China-U.S. Defense Policy Coordination Talks (DPCT), China-U.S. Military Maritime Consultative Agreement (MMCA) meetings and suspending China-U.S. cooperation on the repatriation of illegal immigrants, China-U.S. cooperation on legal assistance in criminal matters, China-U.S. cooperation against transnational crimes, China-U.S. counternarcotics cooperation and China-U.S. talks on climate change. China has also announced sanctions on Pelosi and her immediate family members in accordance with relevant laws of the People's Republic of China. The US attempt to use Taiwan to contain China is only wishful thinking. It will by no means hold back the historical trend of Taiwan's return to the motherland, nor can it stop the historical process toward the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The attempt by the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces to seek independence by soliciting US support is nothing but a fantasy, which is doomed to be a dead end.

The principle of non-interference in internal affairs is the "golden rule" for state-to-state relations. As unilateral bullying acts happen from time to time in today's world, the international community including Sweden should reach an even clearer consensus, so as to jointly reject all infringements on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries in the world and uphold international fairness and justice.