On August 3rd, Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Sydney H.E. Zhou Limin published a signed article titled “Those Who Play with Fire Will Perish by It”. The full text is as follows:

Those Who Play with Fire Will Perish by It

Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Sydney  Zhou Limin

In disregard of China’s strong opposition and serious representations, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi visited China’s Taiwan region. China firmly opposes and sternly condemns the visit, and has made serious demarche and strong protest to the United States.

The one-China principle is a universal consensus of the international community and a basic norm in international relations. In October 1971, the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 was passed by the 26th session. It decides to restore all its rights to the People’s Republic of China and to recognize the representatives of its Government as the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations, and to expel forthwith the representative of Chiang Kai-shek from the place which they unlawfully occupy at the United Nations and all the organizations related to it. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, 181 countries have established diplomatic relations with China on the basis of the one-China principle.

In 1979, the United States made a clear commitment in the China-U.S. Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations -- "The United States of America recognizes the Government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal Government of China. Within this context, the people of the United States will maintain cultural, commercial, and other unofficial relations with the people of Taiwan."

As the No. 3 leader of the US government, Pelosi’s flight to the Taiwan region on a US military aircraft, wantonly tramples on the one-China principle and the three Joint Communiqués between China and the US, severely undermines the political foundation of China-US relations, seriously undermines China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, greatly threatens peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and sends wrong signals to the “Taiwan Independence” separatist forces. The Chinese side will never sit by idly, but will absolutely take firm and strong countermeasures. 

The Taiwan Strait is facing a new round of tensions and severe challenges, and the fundamental cause is the repeated moves by the Taiwan authorities and the United States to change the status quo. The Taiwan authorities have kept seeking U.S. support for their independence agenda. They refuse to recognize the 1992 Consensus, go all out to push forward "de-sinicization", and promote "incremental independence". The United States, for its part, has been attempting to use Taiwan to contain China. It constantly distorts, obscures and hollows out the one-China principle, integrates Taiwan into its so-called “Indo-Pacific Strategy”, blatantly steps up its relationship with Taiwan, continues arms sale to Taiwan so as to improve its “asymmetric warfare”, and supports “Taiwan Independence” separatist activities. These moves, like playing with fire, are extremely dangerous. Those who play with fire will perish by it.

The one-China principle is a red line and a bottom line that can never be crossed. The Taiwan question can never be intervened by any external forces. China is as resolute and firm as rock in its will to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests. It is the common aspiration and sacred responsibility of all sons and daughters of the Chinese nation to realize the complete reunification of the motherland. The will of the people is not to be defied, and the trend of the times cannot be reversed. China will definitely take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity. All the consequences arising therefrom must be borne by the U.S. side and the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces.

The Taiwan question is purely an internal affair of China, and no other country is entitled to act as a judge on the Taiwan question. The one-China principle is the political foundation on which China establishes diplomatic relationships with other sovereign countries. It is hoped that other countries will be clear-eyed about the political agenda and grave damage of Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, earnestly respect China’s core interests and major concern, strictly abide by the one-China principle, be prudent with its words and actions on the Taiwan question, and avoid sending wrong signals to the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces.