China says situations in Ukraine and Taiwan "are not at all comparable"

Criticizes "double standards" of endorsing Ukraine's integrity and supporting Taiwan

BAKU, March 10. (From the special envoy of Europa Press, Borja Aranda) -

The Chinese authorities have stressed this Friday that the situations around Ukraine and Taiwan "are not at all comparable" and have charged against the "double standards" shown by countries that support the territorial integrity of Ukraine while supporting Taiwan, in apparent reference to the United States, among others.

"Some people suggest that the Ukraine of today is the Taiwan of tomorrow. That is totally absurd," said Wu Hongbo, special representative of the Chinese government for European Affairs in the framework of the second day of the X Global Forum in Baku, organized by the Nizami Ganjavi International Center.

Thus, it has charged against those who "call for respect for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and, at the same time, openly violates the 'one China' principle on Taiwan and has even deliberately increased tensions in the Strait of Taiwan".

"As it is internationally recognized, Taiwan is part of China and it is an internal matter of China, while (the war in) Ukraine is a problem between two sovereign countries," he argued, while stressing that Beijing "will act resolutely to protect their sovereignty, security and development interests".

The Chinese government has harshly criticized the United States in recent months for the latest official visits to the island by officials from the North American country, the most relevant of which was the one made at the beginning of August 2022 by the then president of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi.

Pelosi's visit, who met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing Wen, to whom she conveyed that Washington "will not abandon its commitment" to the island, led the Asian giant to sanction the Democratic leader and suspend its contacts with the United States. in military, judicial and climatic matters, a sample of the tensions that bilateral relations are going through.

Over the past few days, Chinese Premier Lu Keqiang has reiterated that Beijing will take decisive action to oppose "Taiwan independence" and promote "reunification", a vision not shared by the Taiwanese authorities, which maintain their aspiration for maintain independence.

China has also adopted a position different from that of Western countries regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine, an extreme defended during the day by Wu, who has argued that Beijing's position "can be summed up in a short sentence: support the peace talks".

Wu recalled that China recently presented a peace proposal made up of twelve proposals, including a request for a ceasefire, the withdrawal of sanctions against Russia and a demand to respect the sovereignty of all countries, in line with the United Nations Charter. .

"I suggest, if you have time, that you read it and try to discover who is calling for dialogue and peace and who is adding fuel to the fire and increasing tensions," he said, before stressing that "China will continue to firmly support peace and dialogue ". "We are acting constructively to de-escalate the conflict and ease the tense situation," she said.

Along these lines, he asserted that "in view of what is happening in Ukraine, it is urgent to reach a global security agreement that can guarantee a better and safer world for all", before defending that "seeking absolute security for oneself expense of others will lead to disaster".

"Security that covers only a few countries or a bloc of countries will not last long," Wu argued, adding that "security and development go hand in hand." "There can be no development without security and no security without development," she has said.

Wu has acknowledged that the world has gone through "great changes" in recent years, including "a devastating war that broke out again in Europe", while pointing out that "economic globalization and economic development have suffered setbacks" and that "the pandemic and climate change have caused great losses to humanity."

"Our world is facing increasing uncertainty and instability," he warned during his appearance, in which he opted to promote "common development" and "result-oriented actions." In this sense, he has highlighted that "since the reform and opening policies in the seventies, (China) has managed to help more than 800 million people out of poverty."

In this way, he has extolled that "China's modernization is unprecedented" due to "significant differences" with "other modernization processes in the West", including the "huge population" of the Asian giant and the fact that this progress has had place "without plundering colonies, seeking (others') natural resources, or bringing in slaves."

Wu has also stressed that China seeks "peaceful development." "People suggest that when great powers emerge, there must inevitably be a war against the old powers," he said, before stressing that "China's development is people-centered, sustainable, and peaceful for common prosperity."

"We do not intend to surpass or replace anyone in the world. Our real challenge is how to best develop for our people. For the rest of the world, Chinese development implies opportunities, not threats. China is a partner, not a rival," he stressed. .