"The Taiwan issue is at the center of China's key interests, the Chinese government and the Chinese people will never agree with those who speculate around the one China principle. Anyone who expects China to make concessions on the Taiwan issue is thinking unrealistically," Xi was quoted as saying by Chinese TV channel during a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
This statement comes shortly after a meeting between US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in United States. The representative of Beijing stressed that such summits contradict one-China principle.
Taiwan has been governed independently from mainland China since 1949. Beijing views the island as its province, while Taiwan — a territory with its own elected government — maintains that it is an autonomous country but stops short of declaring independence. Beijing opposes any official contacts of foreign states with Taipei and considers Chinese sovereignty over the island as indisputable. To date, Taiwan is recognized by 13 countries.