Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has warned Washington against backing pro-Taiwan independence forces, saying that the US is sending them "wrong signals".
During virtual talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his American counterpart Joe Biden, Wang stressed that Washington should fulfil its commitments regarding Taiwan, and not pursue an attempt to support its independence.
A demonstrator holds flags of Taiwan and the United States in support of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen during an stop-over after her visit to Latin America in Burlingame, California, U.S., January 14, 2017. REUTERS/Stephen Lam/File Photo
© REUTERS / Stephen Lam
This statement comes after Biden pledged to defend Taiwan against any aggression, hinting at Beijing, while Taipei admitted it has hosted American troops on the island. At the same time, China criticised the US and European countries for trying to boost their contacts with Taiwan as meddling in China's internal business.
Taiwan, which officially calls itself the "Republic of China", has been governed by a separate government since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949. Beijing considers Taiwan to be a breakaway Chinese province, while the island maintains that it is an autonomous country. Taipei has political and economic relations with several other nations that recognise its sovereignty.