Chinese Foreign Ministry Slams Guatemala's Plan to Hold Taiwan Summit

BEIJING (Sputnik) - Taiwan is an unalienable part of China, and any attempts to make the island into a separate diplomatic actor run contrary to international norms, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Tuesday, commenting on Guatemala's plans to hold a meeting of "Taiwan-friendly" countries.

"There is only one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, the One-China principle is a consensus of the international community and universally recognized norm of international relations," Mao told a briefing.

The diplomat added that efforts by the current Taiwanese leadership to intensify its "so-called diplomatic relations" are doomed to failure.

Today, Taiwan has diplomatic ties with and is, thus, officially recognized by 14 countries — Belize, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Eswatini, Tuvalu, and the Vatican. Taipei also maintains economic and cultural ties with some other states, while having no official diplomatic relations.

Earlier in the week, new Guatemalan Ambassador to Taiwan Oscar Adolfo Padilla Lam said that Guatemala was planning to host a summit of "Taiwan-friendly" countries in March 2023 and hoping for Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen to co-host the event.

Taiwan has been governed independently from mainland China since 1949. Beijing views the island as its province, while Taiwan — a territory with its own elected government — maintains that it is an autonomous country but stops short of declaring independence. Beijing opposes any official contacts of foreign states with Taipei and considers Chinese sovereignty over the island indisputable.