On 3 August, the G7 Foreign Ministers issued a so-called statement on the visit of Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi to China’s Taiwan region, which blatantly supports Pelosi’s provocative action that undermines China’s core interests, groundlessly accuses China’s response risks increasing tensions and destabilizing the region, and calls on China not to unilaterally change the status quo by force in the region. Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly also made false accusations against China on the Taiwan question at a press conference on the same day. China firmly opposes and sternly condemns this.

Who is escalating tensions in the region? Being the number three figure in the US government, Pelosi’s visit to China’s Taiwan region is a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions in the three China-U.S. joint communiqués. It has a severe impact on the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and seriously infringes upon China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. This is the direct cause of the current tension in the Taiwan Strait. In disregard of the facts, the United States, Canada and other G7 members pressured China to remain calm and exercise restraint, and distorted China’s justified actions of safeguarding sovereignty and territorial integrity as so-called “aggressive military activity.” This completely confounds black and white and is a flagrant act of hegemony, bullying and coercion.

Who is changing the status quo? There is but one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, and the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. This is the basic status quo across the Taiwan Strait. The Tsai Ing-wen authorities have been seeking US support for “Taiwan independence”, refusing to recognize the 1992 Consensus and stubbornly pushing for “incremental independence”. These moves are changing the status quo! The United States, Canada and other G7 members seek to contain China by playing “the Taiwan card”, step up collusion with the Taiwan authorities, condone and support the separatist forces for their “Taiwan independence” activities. These moves are changing the status quo!

Who is destroying international rules and order? What the US, Canada and some other countries have constantly vowed to preserve is a so-called international order designed to serve the US’s own interests and perpetuate its hegemony. Facts have proven that the US itself is the largest source of disruption to the actual world order. In the world, there is only one international system, i.e. the international system with the UN at its core. There is only one international order, i.e. the international order underpinned by international law. And there is only one set of rules, i.e. the basic norms governing international relations underpinned by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. Canada, in collusion with the United States and other G7 members, has blatantly violated the one-China principle as the basic norm in international relations on the Taiwan question, and grossly interfered in China’s internal affairs. This is a threat to and damage to the international order. The Chinese side will continue to take resolute and forceful measures to firmly deter separatist moves toward “Taiwan independence” and oppose interference in the Taiwan question by external forces. This is not only to safeguard China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, but also to safeguard international rules and order!

We once again stress that the one-China principle is the prevailing consensus of the international community and the political foundation of China’s relations with Canada. We urge the Canadian side to take China’s solemn position seriously, fully recognize the highly sensitive nature of the Taiwan question and respect China’s core interests, strictly abide by the one-China principle, immediately stop making false statements or taking wrong actions on the Taiwan question and stop interfering in China’s internal affairs in any form, so as not to cause further damage to China-Canada relations.