Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian (肖千) said at his annual press conference last Wednesday that there’s “no room for compromise” on Beijing’s position regarding its vows to reunify China and Taiwan.

He stated, “There are a handful of people in Taiwan who don’t recognize they’re Chinese. They don’t support China’s unification,” and “They can leave Taiwan. Taiwan is China’s territory. If they refuse to be a citizen of China, they can leave the island.”

Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the statements this Monday, reiterating that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are not subordinate to each other and calling on the international community to jointly prevent unilateral changes to the status quo.

The ministry called Xiao’s public remarks unfounded, pointing to his erroneous use of UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to deny Taiwan’s sovereign status. The Foreign Ministry reiterated Taiwan is a sovereign and independent country, and that China has never ruled Taiwan, “not for a single day.” They stated that any remarks distorting Taiwan’s status or denying the democratic choice of the Taiwanese people cannot change the internationally recognized status quo across the Taiwan Strait. 

Only the people of Taiwan have the right to decide Taiwan’s future, the ministry added, calling for the international community’s continued support.