China hails Putin over position on Pelosi Taiwan visit
The Chinese Foreign Ministry lauds comments made by Russian President Vladimir Putin on US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.
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China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin speaks during the daily briefing in Beijing, June 11, 2021 (AP Photo/Liu Zheng, File)
China is highly appreciative of the statement made by Russian President Vladimir Putin that US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan was a "carefully planned provocation", Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Wednesday.
Putin said on Tuesday that Pelosi's visit to Taiwan was a "carefully planned provocation" carried out with the aim of destabilizing the situation in the Asia-Pacific region. His words came during the 10th Moscow Conference on International Security.
"China highly appreciates the position expressed by Russian President Vladimir Putin," the diplomat said in a press inquiry about Beijing's sentiment regarding the Russian President's statements.
More than 170 countries have reaffirmed their commitment to the One China principle since Pelosi made her visit to Taiwan, Wang underlined, highlighting that they showed their support for Beijing's efforts to safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the People's Republic of China.
Wang stressed that Putin's opinion represents a high level of strategic cooperation between China and Russia.
The situation around Taiwan escalated following Pelosi's recent visit to Taipei. China considers Taiwan part of its territory and opposes any direct official foreign contacts with the island.
Pelosi's visit led China to announce ending cooperation with the United States on a number of issues such as climate change, anti-drug efforts, and military talks.
The Chinese foreign ministry had announced that Beijing will impose sanctions on Pelosi and her close relatives in response to her provocative visit to Taiwan.
China also imposed restrictions on the purchase of fruit and seafood from Taiwan, as well as stopping sand supplies to the island.
The Taiwanese and Chinese militaries, in the wake of the visit and soaring tensions, held military drills on a large scale. Taipei's military held on Thursday a round of live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait after China's People Liberation Army concluded its own in the South China Sea.
In a multi-decadal first, Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office issued a white book on the island, saying it would "not renounce the use of force" against Taiwan, preserving "the option of taking all necessary measures."
