US Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan has aroused strong indignation among the Chinese people and sharp criticism from the international community.

Utterly reckless, dangerous, and irresponsible are the words often heard. And here is why. To start with, Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan is a serious violation of the one-China principle: there is but one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, and the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. 

This has been clearly recognized by United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 of 1971. Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, 181 countries have established diplomatic relations with China on the basis of the one-China principle. The one-China principle is a universal consensus of the international community and a basic norm in international relations.

The one-China principle is also the centrepiece of the three Sino-US joint communiques and the premise and foundation for the establishment and development of diplomatic relations between China and the US. In 1979, the US made a clear commitment in the Sino-US joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations that “ the United States of America recognizes the Government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal Government of China”.

Pelosi is the incumbent Speaker of the US House of Representatives and ranks second in the US presidential line of succession. Her visit to Taiwan, in whatever form, under whatever pretext, marks a blatant political provocation upgrading the official interactions and substantive relations between the US and Taiwan and signalling connivance and support for “Taiwan independence” separatist forces.

It seriously violates the one-China principle, maliciously infringes on China's sovereignty, and seriously undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. China will take all necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity. All the consequences arising therefrom must be borne by the US side and “Taiwan independence” separatist forces.

In recent years, the Taiwan Strait has been facing a new round of tensions and severe challenges, and the fundamental cause is the repeated moves by the Taiwan authorities and the United States to change the status quo. The Taiwan authorities have kept seeking U.S. support for their independence agenda. They refuse to recognize the 1992 Consensus, go all out to push forward “de-sinicization”, and promote “incremental independence”. The United States, for its part, has been attempting to use Taiwan to contain China. It constantly distorts, obscures and hollows out the one-China principle, steps up its official exchanges with Taiwan, and emboldens “Taiwan independence” separatist activities. These moves, like playing with fire, are extremely dangerous.

There is a claim that China's pursuit of reunification is a "threat" to Taiwan, but the basic logic is that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory and the Taiwan question is purely an internal affair of China. It is lawful and justified that China upholds territorial integrity and opposes secession.

It is the firm commitment of the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people to safeguard state sovereignty and territorial integrity resolutely. It is the common aspiration and sacred responsibility of all Chinese sons and daughters to realise the complete reunification of the motherland. The will of the people is not to be defied, and the trend of the times cannot be reversed.

The one-China principle is the key stabilizing force for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Attempts to play the “Taiwan card” and use the Taiwan question to contain China are doomed to failure.