Question: According to media reports, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, during his visit to Taiwan, claimed that the Chinese mainland cannot change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and that Taiwan is being "intimidated" by the mainland. He also compared Taiwan to Palestine, expressing opposition to the British government's intention to recognise the State of Palestine. What is the embassy's comment?

Embassy spokesperson: In disregard of China's resolute opposition, this British politician went ahead to visit Taiwan and made highly irresponsible remarks. We strongly condemn this.

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 universal consensus of the international community and a basic norm governing international relations. Although the two sides across the Taiwan Strait have yet to be reunified, the fact that the Chinese mainland and Taiwan belong to one and the same China and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China has never and will not be changed. This is the true status quo in the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan is never a country, not in the past, and never in the future.

At present, the greatest threat to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is the separatist provocations by the Taiwan authorities. China will never allow anyone to separate Taiwan from the rest of the country in any way, nor will China tolerate any external attempt to obstruct its complete reunification.

Comparing the Taiwan question with the Palestinian question is total nonsense and sheer absurdity! In November 1947, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 181 on the establishment of two states, Palestine and Israel. Israel was established in 1948, and Palestine declared its statehood in 1988. Currently, 147 UN member states have formally recognised the State of Palestine.

Regarding the status of Taiwan, in 1971, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 2758 with an overwhelming majority. It decides to restore all the lawful rights of the People's Republic of China at the UN and expel forthwith the representatives of the Taiwan authorities from the UN and all the organisations related to it. The resolution resolved, once and for all, the issue of the representation of the whole of China, including Taiwan, in the UN, and precluded any possibility of creating "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan."

We urge relevant British politician to stop using the Taiwan issue to stage political shows, stop emboldening the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, cease interfering in China's internal affairs, and refrain from going further down the wrong path.