Beijing Condemns Taiwanese Official's Visit to Italy
China lodges formal diplomatic protests with Rome and Brussels over Hsiao Bi-khim's trip.
Quick Look
Beijing condemned a visit to Italy by senior Taiwanese official Hsiao Bi-khim, lodging formal diplomatic protests with Rome and Brussels over the breach of the one-China principle.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Italy, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan and adheres to the one-China principle.
Beijing has strongly condemned a visit to Italy by senior Taiwanese officials and lodged formal diplomatic protests with both Rome and Brussels.
Criticising the visit on Friday, foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said Beijing had submitted “serious representations against Italy and the European Union” following reports that Taiwan’s No 2 official, Hsiao Bi-khim, had arrived in Italy to attend an international forum.
“[Taiwan’s] Democratic Progressive Party authorities and individual politicians have spared no effort to seek attention everywhere, attempting to pursue independence under the guise of democracy and freedom,” Mao said. “Their moves are truly despicable, and futile.”
Italy, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
Mao said Beijing firmly opposed any official interaction between Taiwan and nations that maintained formal diplomatic ties with Beijing. Beijing says such visits violate the one-China principle.
She said the one-China principle was a widely recognised norm in international relations and the fundamental political foundation for Beijing’s relations with both Italy and the EU, calling on relevant parties to observe it through concrete action.
Open Questions
- What specific forum did Hsiao Bi-khim attend in Italy?
- How will Italy and the EU respond to Beijing's protests?
