Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation press release issued December 31 states that “the People’s Republic of China is the sole lawful government representing the whole of China, and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory.” The ministry says issues regarding Taiwan are therefore China’s internal affairs, and that it supports China’s effort to achieve national reunification, while opposing any form of “Taiwan independence.”

Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry responded this Wednesday, saying it regretted the Cambodian government’s submission to China’s authoritarian actions and strongly condemned the country’s dissemination of remarks that disparage Taiwan’s sovereignty. They condemned the claims, calling them “absurd deviations from the facts.” The Foreign Ministry reiterated that Taiwan and China are not subordinate to each other, that the CCP has never ruled Taiwan, and that no country has the right or the ability to deny the objective existence of Taiwan.

The ministry emphasized Taiwan’s willingness to cooperate with all countries that support freedom, democracy, and human rights to jointly curb the expansion of authoritarianism, safeguard peace and security across the Taiwan Strait, and maintain freedom and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.