Taiwan the biggest US-China flashpoint, Chinese envoy Xie Feng says

Taiwan is the “biggest flashpoint” between China and the US, and any attempt to use the island as leverage with Beijing will only backfire, China’s ambassador to Washington told a forum in Hong Kong on Friday in the first comments by a senior Chinese envoy since the US presidential election.

Speaking via video link to the US-China Hong Kong forum, Xie Feng said the Taiwan question was the biggest potential source of conflict.

“The Taiwan question is at the very core of China’s core interests, and it is the bedrock of the political foundation of China-US relations. If mishandled, it could be the biggest flashpoint that may trigger conflict and confrontation,” Xie said.

“Any forces trying to play Taiwan as a card would be playing with fire. To truly uphold peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, one should commit to the one-China principle and the Three China-US Joint Communiqués in both word and deed, and unequivocally oppose Taiwanese independence.”

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