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U.S. urges 'peaceful resolution' of cross-strait issues

ROC Central News Agency

07/02/2021 12:33 PM

Washington, July 1 (CNA) The United States on Thursday reiterated its support for a "peaceful resolution" of cross-strait issues after Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) vowed to crush any Taiwan independence attempts as well as forces meddling with its unification goal.

"The United States will continue to support a peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues, consistent with the wishes and best interests of the people on Taiwan," a U.S. State Department spokesperson said in a statement.

In a ceremony held on Tiananmen Square to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Xi told a large audience on Thursday that China remained adamant about smashing any push for Taiwan independence and any external forces that try to meddle in China's internal affairs.

"Resolving the Taiwan issue and realizing China's peaceful reunification is a historic mission and an unshakable commitment of the CCP," Xi said in the speech, while he also reiterated the "one China principle", which refers to the concept that there's only one China -- the one under the Communist Party in Beijing.

In response, the U.S. State Department spokesperson said: "We urge Beijing to cease its military, diplomatic, and economic pressure against Taiwan and instead engage in meaningful dialogue with Taiwan."

In Taiwan, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), which is in charge of cross strait relations, lashed out against Xi's speech, criticizing the Chinese communist party for breaching democracy and human rights with its one-party system.

In a statement, the MAC accused the CCP of tightening its dictatorship in the name of national rejuvenation internally, and attempting to alter the international order with its hegemonic ambitions externally.

"We urge the other side of the strait to learn from history and push for democratic reforms," the MAC said, calling on the CCP to stop expansionist behavior and to act as a responsible party in promoting regional peace.

In addition to the U.S. State Department's comments on Xi's speech, several American politicians also criticized the CCP for its cruelty in treating the people in China.

Among them, Mike Pompeo, former U.S. State Secretary, tweeted the CCP's 100 years was a century of killing fields and genocide and "no political party has killed more people than the CCP."

For his part, Republican Senator Mitt Romney said in a Twitter message that authoritarian China was perhaps the greatest threat to freedom in the world.

"We're seeing the effects that communism has on a society -- suppressing independent thought and dissent, paired with egregious human rights violations. We must partner with allies to promote freedom," Romney said.

Echoing Romney, Republican Senator Marco Rubio also tweeted that while the CCP celebrated its centennial today, "100 years of authoritarian repression is cause for sorrow, not celebration."

(By Stacy Hsu, Emerson Lim and Frances Huang)

Enditem/cs