By Riyaz ul Khaliq
ISTANBUL (AA) – Beijing on Friday was left fuming after the southern American nation of Paraguay expelled a Chinese diplomat over Taiwan “interference.”
The accusations and demands made by Paraguayan departments against members of the Chinese delegation to the UNESCO session are “baseless and unjustified, seriously violating international practices,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters in Beijing.
“China firmly opposes such actions,” said Lin, according to state media.
On Thursday, Paraguay, one of only 12 diplomatic allies of Taiwan, gave 24 hours to Xu Wei to leave the country, declaring him persona non grata after canceling his visa.
Xu was in the southern American nation to attend a session of UNESCO.
However, he made a surprise visit to the nation’s parliament, allegedly asking lawmakers to choose between relations with Taiwan and China.
Paraguay accused him of alleged “interference in domestic affairs.”
“There is only one China in the world, and the island of Taiwan is an inseparable part of the Chinese territory,” Lin stressed.
“The one-China principle has been affirmed by UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 and is widely recognized as a fundamental norm in international relations, as well as a consensus within the international community.
“Reaffirming and upholding the one-China principle is legitimate and transparent anywhere in the world, and there is no issue of ‘interference in internal affairs’,” he claimed.
China claims Taiwan as its "breakaway province" while Taipei has insisted on its independence since 1949. Paraguay is the only ally of Taipei in southern America.
Meanwhile, Lin acknowledged that the incoming Trump administration had picked former Senator David Perdue as the new US ambassador to China.
But, he chose to maintain silence on how Beijing considers Perdue’s appointment.