Ministry calls for probe over Fiji incident

Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian. (Photo/Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China)

The Foreign Ministry denied on Monday a claim that an employee of the Taipei trade office in Fiji was assaulted by diplomats from the Chinese embassy, calling it a trick of "a thief crying stop thief "and said Fiji should thoroughly investigate the incident.

Speaking at a regular news briefing in Beijing, ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian, quoting the Chinese embassy to Fiji, said that the Taipei trade office in the Pacific island nation "publicly held the so-called 'national day' event on the evening of Oct 8".

At the event, the "self-styled flag" and a cake decorated with the image of the "self-styled flag "were displayed, said Zhao, adding that such moves attempting to create "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan" internationally violated the one-China principle and the relevant rules and regulations of the Fijian government.

On the same evening, the staff of the Taipei trade office acted provocatively against Chinese embassy staff members who were carrying out their official duties in the public area outside the venue of the function, causing injuries and damage to one Chinese diplomat, according to the embassy's statement.

China has expressed concerns to Fiji about the incidents, requesting Fiji to hold the perpetrators accountable according to law and expecting the country to tackle the issue properly, the statement said.

The Fijian government has been adhering to the one-China principle, and required Taiwan business institutions in Fiji not to use inappropriate names or create "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan" in Fiji's territory in 2019, Zhao said, adding that China appreciated such a practice.

Zhao noted that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, and the one-China principle is widely recognized by the international community.

Any attempts to use the Taiwan question to drive a wedge between China and Pacific island countries are doomed to fail, he said.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry issued two reports on Monday on its website listing how the United States has damaged the environment and undermined global environmental governance.

Bad behavior by the US in the environmental field covers areas such as climate change, biodiversity, endangered wildlife, solid waste, chemicals, forests and water pollution, according to Zhao.

Certain US politicians have spared no efforts to slander China on environmental issues for some time, Zhao said, adding that facts speak louder than words, and anyone who is fair-minded can tell right from wrong.