Taiwan MPs’ India visit angers China

There is nothing new or unusual about such visits and political meanings should not be read into them. VIKAS SWARUP, MEA spokesperson

China has lodged a complaint with India over a rare visit by a Taiwanese parliamentary delegation, warning New Delhi to follow the “One-China” policy and not have any official contact with Taipei.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shung said Beijing was always opposed to any kind of official contact between Taiwan and countries that have diplomatic ties with China.

Geng spoke against any proposal to upgrade India-Taiwan ties, and warned India to be strict about following the “One-China” policy and be “prudent” about its ties with Taiwan.

China considers Taiwan a breakaway province, which could be reunited by force, if necessary. India doesn’t maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, an island off the southeastern coast of China that has a democratic government and a free press. The de facto Indian embassy in Taipei is called the India-Taipei Association and the Taiwanese maintain the Taipei Economic Cultural Center in New Delhi.

A three-member parliamentary delegation from Taiwan arrived in India on Monday for a three-day visit. The leader of the delegation, Kuan Bi-Ling, said Taiwan is "totally independent".

“It (the One-China policy) is a de facto reality...We suffered a lot because of the One-China policy. We have crafted a pragmatic approach in our diplomatic engagement with major countries, including India, despite these difficulties,” Kuan told the Indian media.

Hosting an official delegation from Taiwan appears to be a shift in Indian policy. In May last year, India had reportedly backtracked from sending representatives to the swearing-in ceremony of the then Taiwanese president-elect Tsai Ing-wen.