BEIJING, April 22 — A Chinese spokesperson on Wednesday said that several countries’ refusal to grant flight permits to Taiwan’s secessionist-minded leader Lai Ching-te for a planned visit to Eswatini reflects broad international support for the one-China principle.
Zhang Han, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks at a press briefing when asked to comment on the cancellation of Lai’s trip after countries along the planned route declined to grant overflight clearance.
“We express appreciation for the stance and actions of relevant countries in upholding the one-China principle,” said Zhang.
She said this has once again shown that the one-China principle is a basic norm governing international relations and a prevailing consensus of the international community.
Also on Wednesday, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said that all African countries, with the sole exception of Eswatini, have established diplomatic ties with China.
These 53 countries together with the African Union have reiterated on many occasions that they firmly uphold the one-China principle, there is but one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China, and they firmly support all efforts by the Chinese government to achieve national reunification, the spokesperson said.(Namibia Daily News/Xinhua)
