Chinese Foreign Ministry Calls on EU to Treat Taiwan Issue Cautiously

BEIJING (Sputnik) - China strongly opposes any form of official interaction between the European Union and Taiwan and calls on the bloc to treat the Taiwan issue cautiously as well respect the One China policy, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Tuesday.

"The European Parliament as the EU's official body should respect the One China principle. China strongly opposes any form of official contacts between the EU and Taiwan and calls on the EU to sincerely observe the One China policy and to demonstrate prudence in words and actions concerning the Taiwan issue," Mao told a briefing.

A delegation from the European Parliament's International Trade committee (INTA) arrived in Taiwan on Monday on a four-day visit to discuss Taiwan-EU bilateral trade and investment.

Tensions between mainland China on the one hand, and Taiwan and countries boosting cooperation with the island on the other hand, escalated after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island in early August. Beijing condemned Pelosi's trip, which it regarded as a gesture of support for separatism, and held large-scale military exercises in the vicinity of the island. Despite this fact, several countries, including France, Germany, the United States, Japan and others, have sent their delegations to the island since then, further increasing tensions in the Taiwan Strait.