China warns Taiwanese ruling party against harming peace, stability in Taiwan Straits

ANKARA

China on Wednesday warned Taiwan’s ruling party that its attempts to purchase weapons from the US are harming the interests of local people and undermining peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits.

Chen Binhua, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, accused the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of attempting to pursue “independence” by force, relying on the US.

“The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities of Taiwan island have stubbornly insisted on the separatist stance of ‘Taiwan independence’ and squandered Taiwan people's hard-earned money to purchase weapons from the US, in an attempt to pursue ‘independence’ by force relying on the US,” state-run Global Times quoted Chen as saying.

“This seriously harms the interests of the Taiwan people and undermines peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits," he added.

Last month, in an unprecedented move, Washington authorized funding to Taiwan through its Foreign Military Financing program, triggering an angry reaction from China, which considers Taiwan as its “breakaway province.”

Such funds are usually designated for fully sovereign nations and Washington has taken such a decision for the first time in the case of Taiwan.

However, Washington has not clarified whether the funding would be a loan or a grant.

In response to Taiwan’s move to submit a joint letter to the UN secretary-general through its allies, that urged him "to rectify the UN’s erroneous interpretation of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 2758," Chen said the UN is an intergovernmental organization composed only of sovereign states.

"As a part of China, Taiwan island is not qualified at all to become a member of the UN. Despite this fact, the history, and the law, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities have been distorting the UNGA Resolution 2758," he added.

Last week, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning also strongly reacted to the reports and said: "There can only be one seat representing China at the UN.