A Guide To Contemporary China

‘Taiwan Elections Will Not Affect Inevitable Trend Of China’s Reunification’

A Chinese spokesperson on Saturday commented on the outcomes of the Taiwan leadership and legislature elections. Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said the results reveal that the Democratic Progressive Party cannot represent the mainstream public opinion on the island. Noting that Taiwan is China’s Taiwan, Chen said that the elections will not change the basic landscape and development trend of cross-Strait relations, will not alter the shared aspiration of compatriots across the Taiwan Strait to forge closer ties, and will not impede the inevitable trend of China’s reunification. “Our stance on resolving the Taiwan question and realizing national reunification remains consistent, and our determination is as firm as rock,” Chen said. “We will adhere to the 1992 Consensus that embodies the one-China principle and firmly oppose the separatist activities aimed at ‘Taiwan independence’ as well as foreign interference,” Chen said.

Source: China Military

China Condemns Japan’s Congratulatory Message After Taiwan Election

The Chinese embassy in Japan said on Sunday it strongly opposed Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa’s statement congratulating Taiwan region’s new leader-elect Lai Ching-te. A spokesperson for the embassy said in a statement that the move by the Japanese side seriously interferes in China’s internal affairs, violates the one-China principle and the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan. China has made solemn representations with Japan, the spokesperson added. The Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affairs, and the Taiwan regional leadership election is China’s local affairs, said the spokesperson. “We solemnly urge the Japanese side to deeply reflect on its history of aggression against the Taiwan region, earnestly honour its commitment on the Taiwan question, not send any wrong signal to the ‘Taiwan independence’ forces, and not disturb peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits as well as China-Japan relations,” the spokesperson said in the statement.

Source: CGTN

Blinken Meets Top China Diplomat Before Taiwan Polls

Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, led a CPC delegation on a visit to the United States from Jan 8 to 13. The visit came before the Taiwan elections During the visit, Liu met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer, federal senators and representatives from both Democratic and Republican parties, San Francisco Mayor London Breed and professionals from such US sectors including finance, industry and commerce, think tank, and media. Liu attended a symposium under the China-US Track 1.5 Dialogue, and delivered a speech at the US Council on Foreign Relations. Liu also met with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The delegation had an in-depth exchange of views with various parties on China’s development prospects, China-US relations, and global governance.

Source: China Daily

China Mediates Ceasefire Deal Between Myanmar Military And Armed Groups

The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Friday that due to China’s meditation and facilitation efforts, a formal ceasefire agreement has been reached between the Myanmar military and three ethnic armed groups in northern Myanmar, namely the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, and the Arakan Army. This came after the two sides held peace talks in the city of Kunming in Southwest China’s Yunnan Province from Wednesday to Thursday. According to spokesperson Mao Ning, the two sides agreed to an immediate ceasefire to end the war, a military disengagement, and the solving of relevant disputes and demands through peaceful negotiations. They also promised not to harm Chinese border residents and Chinese nationals involved in projects in Myanmar.

Source: Global Times

Uphold Party Above All Else, Xi Tells Judicial, Public Security Bodies

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on the judicial, prosecutorial and public security organs to uphold the absolute leadership of the Party and provide the national rejuvenation with a strong security guarantee. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the important instruction on judicial, prosecutorial and public security work, calling on people in the sector to perform their duties with loyalty and demonstrate good initiative.

Source: China.org.cn

Canada Must View Ties In An ‘Objective’ And ‘Rational’ Manner, Says China FM

China and Canada stressed in their latest high-level engagement the importance of keeping communication channels open despite challenges, in order to bring bilateral ties back on track. In a phone conversation on Thursday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Canadian counterpart Melanie Joly that China hopes the Canadian side will interpret China’s domestic and foreign policies in an “objective” and “rational” manner and added that the two countries should not let their differences dominate bilateral relations. The fundamental reason that China-Canada relations have hit a low point in recent years is because there has been a serious deviation in Canada’s perception of China, Wang said. The two last met on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Bali, Indonesia in 2022. Following Canada’s arbitrary detention of Meng Wanzhou, Huawei’s then chief financial officer, in 2018, Sino-Canadian relations have nose-dived and remained strained last year, underscored by Ottawa’s allegations of Beijing’s so-called “election interference.”

Source: Ecns.cn