The Chinese ambassador to Spain, before the elections in Taiwan: “We do not want a domestic problem to become an international one”

A few hours before the polls open for the presidential elections in Taiwan, China's ambassador to Spain, Yao Jing, has defended that these elections are “local” and deal with an “internal matter.” “For us it's all very simple: there is only one China. This is an international consensus,” the diplomat stated this Friday. And he has assured that, “whatever party enters the Government [taiwanés]”, independence “is a red line, which China does not want to cross.”

“We hope the international community understands this one-China policy, we don't want this domestic issue to become an international issue.”

Yao stressed that the international community must “respect the one-China principle.” “We do not want this domestic problem to become an international problem,” he said during an informative breakfast organized by the New Economy Forum, while recalling that Xi Jinping's government would like to see “an early and peaceful reunification.” The ambassador has led China's diplomatic mission in Spain and Andorra since last September.

The self-governed and democratic island of Taiwan, which China considers an indispensable part of its territory, is holding elections this Saturday marked by its close relationship with the United States and its distance from China. The ruling party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), leads the polls to lead the Taiwanese Government for another four years, which has already governed since 2016. The DPP candidate and current vice president, Lai Ching-te, promises to maintain the continuous path of his party, characterized by a deepening of tensions with the Asian giant.

Although the DPP has denied that it is going to declare Taiwan's independence, Yao has insisted that China “is against” such action, due to “the historical heritage and legacy” of the territory. Furthermore, the diplomat has highlighted that, for his country to establish any type of relationship with another, an agreement is signed that admits “the one-China policy.”

The ambassador has also referred to the war in Gaza, on which he has stated that he shares “a position similar to that of Spain.” “China and Spain are on the same page. We want to see peace. We want a ceasefire. “We want to see the two-state solution.” King Felipe VI defended the recognition of a Palestinian State on Thursday, supporting the position of Pedro Sánchez's Government, although without explicitly requesting a cessation of hostilities. In a conciliatory tone, Yao has recognized that there are countries “with different measures to confront” the war. “We understand them, because all responsible members of the international community want to put an end to this conflict,” he concluded.

“We are against any military conflict, we do not want to see any type of violent actions anywhere in the world. We have already suffered too much in our history,” he continued, also referring to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and conflicts such as the Sahel and Afghanistan, a country for which he was ambassador between 2015 and 2017.

Spain, great ally of China

During his speech, the diplomat emphasized, on numerous occasions, China's new policy focused on common prosperity and friendly development. After the end of the paralyzing measures against covid-19 in China, which for three years had a significant impact on the Asian giant's economy – with a slower than expected recovery – the country is now promoting an open-door strategy. “We want to have more interactions with the world. “We are opening our doors in a better way,” Yao highlighted. Since December, China has allowed entry to the country without a visa for Spanish citizens who are going for tourism or business. The measure, which also applies to Italy, France, the Netherlands, Germany and Malaysia, is part of this vision to revive their tourism and contact with the rest of the world.

The ambassador has highlighted the “importance of Spain” for China, as a commercial and political actor. “We see one of our greatest allies in Spain,” he highlighted. Diplomatic relations between both countries turned 50 years old in 2023 and were celebrated with the visit of President Sánchez to Beijing to meet with the Chinese president, Xi Jinping. At that summit, which took place last March, Sánchez demanded the opening of European investments in China, if he did not want to face a greater blockade by the European Union.

Faced with this aspect, Yao has claimed that China “has to pay more and that is not good for anyone. “This type of isolation is worrying.” For him, Spain can serve as a commercial and political bridge between the EU and China during this new phase of opening of the Asian country.

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