China urged European countries on Friday not to engage in any official talks with Taiwan or support "independence forces" ahead of a planned visit by Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu to Europe next week. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky stated, "Of course, the Czech government has a very clear policy on how to maintain relations with Taiwan, so I do not expect us to deviate from this in any way," adding that he would be traveling during the visit.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wen remarked, "Taiwan does not have a foreign minister," adding that it has "a head of the local administration for foreign affairs in the region." Wang noted that the "One China" principle is a primary condition and political foundation for China to develop "friendly" relations with all countries in the world. He added, "We urge the European side to understand the essence of the Taiwan issue, to uphold its formal commitments to China regarding the 'One China' principle, and we urge it not to support Taiwan independence forces or engage in official talks with Taiwan under any name."
Taiwan has no official diplomatic ties with any European country except the Vatican. Beijing continuously condemns any form of communication between Taiwanese officials and foreign officials, considering it encouragement for international recognition of Taiwan's status as a separate state from China.
