The following is a letter from Mr. Miao Deyu, Spokesman of the Chinese Embassy in the UK, responding to an advertisement that appeared in the Financial Times on 10th October 2014. The letter was published in the Financial Times on 18th October with the headline “Kindly note there is only one China in the World”.

Your advertisement (10 October) on the so-called “Republic of China 2014 National Day Celebration” is misleading and causes confusion. It is a flagrant violation of the one China principle. The Chinese side expresses strong indignation and grave concern over it.

I must call to your attention that there is only one China in the world. The government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. Although the mainland and Taiwan are yet to be reunified since 1949, the fact that both belong to one China has never changed. People on both sides of the Taiwan Straits share the same blood, language and roots. They are one family that cannot be separated. Peaceful development in cross-Straits relations will bring us to peaceful reunification. Attempts to obstruct peaceful reunification or create “two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan”, in whatever form, go against the will of the people and the trend of history. They will undoubtedly end up in vain.

One must bear in mind that the one China policy has been universally recognized and observed by the international community including the United Nations and the UK Government. Taiwan-related matters are China’s internal affairs. China is firmly opposed to any outside intervention and words and deeds that violate the principle.

Miao Deyu

Spokesman of the Chinese Embassy in the UK