Taiwan’s Presidential Office has hit back at Xi Jinping’s recent comments on Taiwan.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his opening speech at the 20th Communist Party congress on Sunday that China will “struggle against separatism” and “oppose Taiwan independence”. He also renewed his promise to use military force against Taiwan, if necessary.
Xi further proposed governing Taiwan under the same scheme of “one country, two systems” that was supposed to guarantee autonomy and freedom for Hong Kong and Macau.
His remarks were met with a big round of applause from the audience of delegates.
In response to Xi’s address, Taiwan’s Presidential Office said on Monday that the Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign, independent country. It also clearly renounced China’s effort “to resolve the Taiwan question,” noting that most of the Taiwanese public “resolutely refused” the proposed “one country, two systems” model.
Government spokesperson Chang Tun-han reaffirmed that maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait was a shared responsibility, and that Taiwan was willing to work with Beijing “under the principle of rationality, equality and mutual respect.”