Chinese ambassador highlights Taiwan as ‘most-sensitive’ issue, claims US does not support independence

The Chinese ambassador to the United States has named Taiwan as the “most sensitive” issue at the core of relations between the two superpowers. 

“The question of Taiwan is the most sensitive, important core issue in China, US relations,” said Ambassador Qin Gang at the Aspen Security Forum. “China loves the peace people on both sides of Taiwan Strait. Our compatriots.”

“The last thing we wish to do is to fight with our compatriots, so we will try our best in our great sincerity to achieve the peaceful reunification because we believe that it’s best to serve the interests of people on both sides,” he added. 

The Aspen Security Forum fireside chat focused on the elevated tensions over the past two years between the U.S. and China over Taiwan, particularly with an increase in high-level U.S. visits to Taipei and more Chinese military flights and exercises around Taiwan’s space. 

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Qin argued that issues that focus on Taiwan and Hong Kong serve to “damage China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” 

“The root cause is the ‘One China’ principle has been undermined,” Qin said. “It is under threat… with no authority in Taiwan.”

He claimed that the “political agenda” to advance Taiwan’s independence is “blurring” the One China policy and “borrows U.S. support.” 

The “One China policy” refers to the U.S. recognition of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal government of China, but only acknowledges, without endorsing, Beijing’s claim that Taiwan is part of China.

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Beijing and the White House have stressed the U.S. support for the One China policy. Biden has continued to insist that the U.S. will help Taiwan continue to arm and prepare to defend itself, even completing a fifth arms sale to Taipei since Biden took office. 

But Qin insists that the U.S. support for One China also includes an acknowledgment of China’s ownership over Taiwan. 

“Biden has said many times that the United States is still committed to the One China policy,” Qin said. “The United States does not support Taiwan independence and the United States does not want to have a conflict with China and Taiwan, so no conflict and no war is the biggest consensus between China and the United States.”

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Qin asked that the U.S. “honor its commitments with actions,” and “fully implement” the One China policy. 

“Only by adhering strictly to the one China policy, only by joining hands to constrain and oppose Taiwan independence can we have a peaceful reunification,” he said. 

Qin also had strong words on outside criticism and interference in Xinjang and Hong Kong of which he claimed was not about “democracy, human rights, ethnicity, or religion.” 

Xinjang is the Western province where Beijing has been condemned for committing genocide against Uyghur Muslims.

Qin described the situation in Xinjang as being “about anti-terrorism, anti-secession (and) is about protecting people’s lives, safeguarding China’s national sovereignty.” 

On the former British colony, he said, “Hong Kong has returned to the arms of its motherland.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but had not received a response by the time of publication.