Hypocrisy of some on Taiwan question laid bare: China Daily editorial

The G7 foreign ministers?and?the high representative of the European Union issued a statement on the weekend pointing an accusing finger at China, claiming that the joint exercises around Taiwan island conducted by the Chinese People's Liberation Army last week were "provocative" actions?that raised cross-Strait tensions.

Their remarks are hypocritical to say the least. They claimed they oppose any unilateral actions that threaten peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait yet it is their unjustifiable support of the separatists on the island that is fueling the rising tensions. The statement itself is proof of their willingness to meddle in the Taiwan question, which is no concern of theirs, being a strictly internal affair of China, as recognized by international law. The historical reality that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one China remains immutable, regardless of attempts to distort this truth. Any efforts by the "Taiwan independence" factions or external anti-China elements to alter this actuality will be in vain.

Beijing has repeatedly had to remind the United States and its allies that they are skating on thin ice by skirting with its red line. The persistent provocations of the US and its G7 allies risk inflaming tensions in the region to a perilous extent. The misguided policy of utilizing the island as a geopolitical tool to constrain China is akin to looking for a gas leak in a coal mine by candlelight.

Despite their claim that their stance is against unilateral changes in the Taiwan Strait's status quo, it is the meddling of "Taiwan independence" proponents, bolstered by US interventions through policies and legislative measures, that has significantly destabilized the region.

While the US publicly upholds a one-China policy and claims opposition to "Taiwan independence", its actions cast doubt on its commitment to these principles. The deliberate ambiguity in US policy, exemplified by the removal of crucial statements on "Taiwan independence" from official platforms, suggests a strategic duplicity in which Taiwan is nothing more than a useful part of the US' geostrategic calculations. This latest statement by the G7 foreign ministers and the high representative of the EU underscores the US' strategic aim of enmeshing its allies in its geopolitical maneuvers in relation to Taiwan, which only further imperils regional tranquility. The PLA's joint exercises last week were meant to be both a stern warning and a strong deterrence to the separatist forces and their foreign backers heedlessly seeking "Taiwan independence".

Since taking office as the head of the island's Democratic Progressive Party authorities in May last year, Lai Ching-te has chosen to push further along the road of seeking "Taiwan independence" by openly promoting the "two states" lie. It is the diehard secessionist leader of the DPP authorities and his supporters who are recklessly undermining peace across the Taiwan Strait.

Beijing has made its position categorical: It is committed to peaceful reunification but will never give up the option of reunification by force if push comes to shove. No one and no forces can block the historical trend of the eventual reunification of the island with its motherland.

Still, lost in delusions of hegemony and trapped in a Cold War mindset, the US-led "gang of privilege" wants to use Taiwan as a pawn to undermine China's development and progress, and obstruct the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The G7 members and the EU should adhere to the legal obligation that they recognize the one-China principle, abide by their political commitments to China and immediately stop interfering in China's internal affairs over the Taiwan question.

The path to Taiwan's enduring stability and prosperity lies not in trying to ride on the coattails of the US' strategy in pursuit of "Taiwan independence", but in prioritizing the island's long-term interests with prudence and foresight, and embracing peaceful national reunification.

If the G7 members and the EU are genuinely interested in the preservation of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, they should put an end to their provocative words and deeds, especially their aggressive military posturing that necessitates the PLA showing its capability to respond.