‘Independence by force’ is a dead end

Monday, June 22, 2026

China’s Embassy in Israel condemned recent pro-independence statements by Taiwan’s representatives in Tel Aviv, reaffirming its claim that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China and warning against foreign support for Taiwanese independence. The spokesperson emphasized that provocative actions beyond China’s red lines would trigger firm countermeasures, highlighting heightened risks of conflict amid rising cross-strait tensions.

A spokesperson for the People’s Republic of China’s Embassy in Israel has strongly criticized recent remarks made by officials from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Tel Aviv, describing their advocacy for Taiwanese independence as dangerous and misleading. In a statement issued on Monday, the spokesperson condemned calls for “seeking Taiwan independence by force” and emphasized that reunification remains the sole legitimate path forward.

The statement underscored the Chinese government’s position that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one China, with Taiwan regarded as an inalienable part of Chinese territory. Citing historical records dating back to China’s Three Kingdoms period in the third century CE, the spokesperson highlighted China’s longstanding claim to the island. They also referenced international agreements, including the Cairo Declaration and Potsdam Proclamation, which they said mandated the return of Taiwan to China after Japanese rule ended in 1945.

Further, the spokesperson pointed to United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758, passed in 1971 with the support of Israel among many nations, to reinforce the principle of “one China” and Taiwan’s status as part of China. Despite political divisions across the Taiwan Strait, the statement maintained that China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity have never been compromised. “Taiwan has never been a country, not in the past, and never in the future,” it asserted.

Addressing maritime claims, the spokesperson disputed the characterization of the Taiwan Strait as “international waters.” Citing the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and Chinese maritime law, they argued that the strait largely consists of China’s internal waters and exclusive economic zones. The spokesperson also dismissed comparisons with the Strait of Hormuz and described Taiwan authorities’ assertions to the contrary as political tactics designed to justify independence ambitions.

The statement accused the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities in Taiwan of collaborating with external actors to provoke tensions and destabilize the region by pursuing independence and welcoming arms sales from the United States. It charged the DPP with escalating confrontation across the strait and undermining peace, warning that attempts to achieve independence through force or reliance on foreign powers are “dead ends.”

The Chinese government further warned that provocative actions exceeding China’s “red lines” on the Taiwan issue would prompt resolute countermeasures, cautioning that external military support for Taiwan would only exacerbate tensions and heighten the risk of conflict.

Concluding, the spokesperson called on Israeli society to recognize what they described as the facts surrounding the Taiwan question and resist being misled by “ulterior motives” in the ongoing cross-strait dispute.