DPP criticized for separatist rhetoric amid Malaysia’s support for one-China principle

A Chinese mainland spokeswoman on Wednesday denounced Taiwan”s Democratic Progressive Party authorities for spreading separatist fallacies and using economic pressure to pursue “Taiwan independence” in response to Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s recent remarks in support of the one-China principle.

Zhang Han, a spokeswoman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said at a regular news conference that the Chinese mainland appreciated Malaysia’s upholding of the one-China principle.

Anwar said in a recent interview with Al Jazeera that he sees Taiwan as part of China. Drawing a parallel with Malaysia, he added that “if one province decides to break up … I will protect the sanctity and unity of the nation.”

Taiwan’s external affairs department later voiced its protest on Aug 18. It claimed that Anwar’s remarks “denigrated Taiwan’s sovereignty” and warned that Malaysia’s support for the one-China principle could “undermine Taiwan businesses’ confidence in investing in Malaysia”.

“There is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory,” Zhang said, rejecting the DPP authorities’ claims regarding the island’s so-called sovereignty.

She accused the DPP authorities of stubbornly adhering to a separatist stance, spreading fallacies advocating “Taiwan independence” and repeatedly pressuring relevant countries through trade and investment. Such actions, she said, expose their efforts to pursue “Taiwan independence” through economic and trade pressure.