BEIJING — China has pointed this out again Taiwan It will be a priority topic before the upcoming summit between the two countries US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping next week, saying the United States should adhere to the “one China principle” for a stable relationship with Beijing.
Last weekChina’s top diplomat Wang Yi said he hoped the US would make the “right choices” regarding the self-governing island when he spoke with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
China claims Taiwan as its territory and has not ruled out using force to control it. Beijing is intensifying its military pressure by sending warplanes and naval ships around the island on an almost daily basis.
“The Taiwan issue is at the heart of China’s core interests and the foundation of the political foundation of China-US relations,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Thursday.
He added, “Adhering to the one-China principle and the three Sino-American joint statements and fulfilling the commitments made by the American administrations on the Taiwan issue is the international obligation due to the United States and the basic condition for a stable, sound and sustainable Sino-American relationship.”
Such strong language so close to the two leaders meeting is rare for Beijing, said Arthur Zhensheng Wang, a defense expert at Taiwan’s Central Police University. The new language also explicitly links US diplomatic actions on Taiwan and Washington’s relationship with China.
China and Taiwan split after a civil war in 1949. The United States is the island’s largest unofficial ally and also sells weapons to Taiwan as part of a law requiring it to ensure Taiwan can defend itself. Arms sales and diplomatic support are a major source of tension between China and the United States
Separately, China’s top diplomat, Wang, said Thursday in a meeting with visiting US senators that relations with both sides had managed to maintain stability amid the turmoil.
During a meeting with members of a bipartisan US Congressional delegation, led by Senator Steve Daines, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi praised Presidents Xi Jinping and Trump for “helping to guide the direction of bilateral relations at critical moments.”
“Over the past year, China-US relations have gone through many ups and downs, but we are still able to maintain overall stability,” Wang said.
Daines, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a strong Trump supporter, agreed with this view and said that the two countries should seek stability.
He said: “I strongly believe that we want to stop the escalation, not separation. We want stability, and we want mutual respect.”
Daines hinted at one possible outcome of the two leaders’ meeting next week, saying: “Maybe we can buy more Boeing aircraft, which I know is something we would like to see.”
The senator also acknowledged China’s efforts to help reduce tensions in the Middle East and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. He said Wang’s meeting on Wednesday with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi was evidence of China’s engagement.
Before Trump’s visit to China scheduled for May 14 and 15. The US government is putting pressure on Beijing To use its influence with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, where 20% of the world’s oil normally flows.
It was Daines’ second trip to China since Trump took office last year. He had previously visited in March 2025, when there were disagreements between the two countries over trade tariffs and counter-terrorism efforts. Illicit fentanyl trade.
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Wu reported from Bangkok.