China warns 'red line' of Taiwan not to be crossed

China expressed firm opposition on Wednesday to any form of official contact between the United States and the Taiwan region, urging Washington to exercise extreme prudence in handling the Taiwan question.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian made the remarks after US President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed into law the so-called Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, which requires the US State Department to regularly review and update guidelines on how the US officially interacts with the Taiwan region.

The Taiwan question is at the center of China's core interests and the first red line that must not be crossed in China-US relations, Lin said, adding that the one-China principle is the political foundation of bilateral ties.

According to the 1979 Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the two countries, the US recognizes the Government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal government of China.

Within this context, the people of the US will maintain cultural, commercial and other unofficial relations with the people of Taiwan.

Lin said the US should earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques. He urged the US to stop all official interactions with Taiwan and avoid sending any wrong signals to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces.

In another development, Lin slammed a Taiwan official's remarks that the region expects to reestablish so-called diplomatic ties with Honduras, reiterating that "Taiwan independence" separatist activities are doomed to fail.

Honduras severed relations with Taiwan and established diplomatic ties with China in 2023.

Lin said the one-China principle is the political foundation and fundamental premise of China-Honduras relations.

Over the past two years, bilateral ties have developed rapidly, and cooperation in various fields has achieved fruitful results, bringing tangible benefits to the Honduran people, he said. China-Honduras relations serve the fundamental and long-term interests of both countries and their people, he added.

zhoujin@chinadaily.com.cn