BEIJING: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday warned that anyone challenging the 'one-China' policy will pay a heavy price as he termed a top Czech Republic official's visit to Taiwan as a provocation and short-sighted move.
The Chinese government is under increased pressure over Taiwan after the recent visit of US Health Service Secretary Alex Azar to Taipei, the first high-ranking American official to visit the estranged island which China claims as part of its mainland.
Azar, who is the highest-ranking Cabinet member to visit Taiwan since the US switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing from Taipei in 1979, visited Taiwan in the second week of this month and met Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, a staunch proponent of Taiwan's independence from China.
Azar's visit was regarded as the major diplomatic setback for Beijing which asserts that the 'one-China' policy constitutes the core of its foreign policy recognised by all the countries which have established diplomatic relations with it.
After Azar, Czech Republic Senate Speaker Milos Vystrcil started his visit to Taiwan from Sunday, ignoring Beijing's prior warnings and met top Taiwanese officials.
China's state-run Global Times said Vystrci went ahead with the visit despite the opposition from the Czech president Milos Zeman.
Wang, who was in Germany on Monday as part of his visit to the European Union countries, said Beijing will not tolerate the violation of its one-China policy.
He said that anyone who challenges the one-China principle will pay a heavy price, referring to the Czech senate speaker's Taiwan visit, the report said.
Wang said Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory, noting that to challenge the one-China principle over the Taiwan issue is to make an enemy of 1.4 billion Chinese people and is a violation of international trust and conduct.
Calling Vystrcil's visit to Taiwan a provocation, Wang stressed that the Chinese government and people will not sit idly when challenged by the anti-China power and will let him pay a heavy price for the short-sighted move and political speculation.
Responding to questions on Wang's remarks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a media briefing here on Monday that the anti-China forces in the Czech republic deliberately impinge upon China' sovereignty and blatantly interfere in China's internal affairs.
"We express strong condemnation and grave concern over such negative acts as Taiwan is an inalienable part of China."
To avoid harming overall bilateral relations, we also have the solemn message to the Taiwan authorities and anti-China forces behind the scenes manipulating Vystrcil.
Any political manipulation and attempts to create Taiwan's independence is bound to fail, Zhao added.