China lodges protest with India over visit of parliamentarians from Taiwan
India has in the past hosted similar delegations from Taiwan, this is the first under the new Tsai Ing-wen government and the first since the setting up of a parliamentary friendship forum in December, which irked China.
China said on Wednesday it had lodged a protest with India over the ongoing visit of parliamentarians from Taiwan, the latest issue to test in already strained ties.
"China lodged representations with India", Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said, adding that Beijing was "always against any form of official contacts and exchanges between countries that have diplomatic ties with China and Taiwan and we are also opposed to the establishment of any official institutions".
He said "the Indian side has made commitment on the Taiwan-related issues" and hoped "India would understand and respect China's core concerns and stick to the One China principle and prudently deal with Taiwan-related issues and maintain sound and steady development of India-China relations."
While India has in the past hosted similar delegations from Taiwan, this is the first under the new Tsai Ing-wen government and the first since the setting up of a parliamentary friendship forum in December, which also irked China.
India, like many countries, does not have diplomatic relations with Taiwan and has followed a 'One China' policy. As a result, India does not have a formal embassy in Taipei - only an 'India Taipei Association' that enables political and business exchanges.
AVENUE OF MAINTAINING CONTACT?
Indian government officials do not formally visit Taiwan, hence the exchange of MPs has been seen as one avenue of maintaining contact.
"The reason why China lodged the representation is because we have been requiring countries that have diplomatic relations with China to fulfil their commitment to the One China principle," said Geng said. "By making our representations we are urging the Indian side to stick to the One China principle and take concrete actions for steady development of China-India relations," he added.
PLAYING WITH FIRE BY HOSTING TAIWAN MPs
Chinese state media on Wednesday also warned India over the move, saying it was "playing with fire" and "at a time when new US President Donald Trump has put the brakes on challenging China over the Taiwan question, agreeing to change course and respecting the "one China" policy, India stands out as a provocateur."
"Some Indians view the Taiwan question as an Achilles' Heel of the mainland," said a commentary in the Global Times, a hawkish tabloid published by the People's Daily, the Party mouthpiece. "India has long wanted to use the Taiwan question, the South China Sea and Dalai Lama issues as bargaining chips in dealing with China," it added.
The paper said that while "pro-independence forces in Taiwan have become more isolated in the world", those "who want to use the Taiwan question to contain the mainland will have to suffer losses".
The article suggested, without citing its sources, that given India's misgivings with the China Pakistan Economic Corridor that passes through Azad Kashmir, the Modi government had been advised "to play the Taiwan card, using the commitment of the 'One-China policy' as leverage in exchange for China's endorsement of 'One India'."
It, however, warned that "by challenging China over the Taiwan question, India is playing with fire. "Growing Taiwanese investment in India, including steel, telecom and information technology are important to Modi's [Make in India] campaign. Although the mainland is a major trading partner of India, political discord and the historical feud make economic cooperation between the two difficult," it mentioned.
BEIJING WARILY VIEWED TSAI ING-WEN GOVERNMENT
China sees Taiwan as one of its provinces, although the island has been administered separately following the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949, when the defeated Kuomintang (KMT) fled to the island. Beijing has warily viewed the current government of Tsai Ing-wen, which came to power defeating the KMT that had favoured closer economic ties with the mainland.
While not outright pushing for independence - which Beijing says it would prevent by any means necessary - Tsai's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government has been more outspoken on carving out a greater strategic and economic space for Taiwan and diversifying its trade and political relationships, including by courting India.
HIGHLIGHTS
