Q: In a recent interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), former US National Security Adviser John Bolton said, “We ought to be clear to China that we consider Taiwan an independent country... I think the doctrine of strategic ambiguity [towards Taiwan] has served its purpose.” “[The US] should exchange full diplomatic recognition, embassies, the whole nine yards, and so should other countries.” What is the comment of the Chinese Embassy?

A: There is but one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, and the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. This lies in the core of the “one China” principle, which has become the consensus of the international community and a basic norm of international relations, as clearly stated in General Assembly resolution 2758 of 1971 and in the three joint communiqués between China and the US.

The so-called “strategic ambiguity” pursued by some Western countries on the Taiwan question is actually playing a two-faced role and getting up to petty tricks, saying one thing but doing the opposite, paying lip service to the “one China” principle while aiding and abetting “one China, one Taiwan” or “two Chinas”, in an attempt to permanently obstruct China’s reunification cause. Bolton’s blatant claim that the US “strategic ambiguity” towards Taiwan has served its purpose fully illustrates that the US has long been obscuring, hollowing out and distorting the one-China policy. Now they have torn away their fig leaf, nakedly and openly agitating for recognition of Taiwan as an independent country. They have revealed their true faces and exposed their true intention that is to split China and contain China with Taiwan. It also adequately proves that China’s resolute countermeasures against US provocations are necessary, justified and reasonable. In an interview with US media not long ago, the very same Bolton admitted to planning coups d'état against foreign governments when he was the US National Security Adviser. After leaving office, now he is under the delusion that he could get personal gains and international attention by pursuing an anti-China agenda, continuing to interfere in China’s internal affairs, and kidnapping China-US relations. His attempts are doomed to fail.