Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said that Ireland’s policy on China and Taiwan has not changed, despite reports in Chinese state media following his meeting in Dublin with Chinese premier Li Qiang.
Earlier CGTN quoted Mr Varadkar as saying that Ireland “will always abide by the one-China principle, and hopes that China will achieve peaceful reunification at an early date”.
However, Mr Varadkar said Ireland supported the One China “policy” on Taiwan, which is distinct from the One China “principle”.
“I reaffirmed our policy, which is the One China policy, that we recognise that Taiwan is part of China. And while we don’t have diplomatic or political links with Taiwan, we continue to have economic and cultural links.”
The One China principle is the policy of the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party.
It holds that there is only one sovereign state under the name China, with China serving as the sole legitimate government of that China, and that China has “inalienable” rights over Taiwan.
However, the One China policy was evolved by the United States. It is regarded as “strategic ambiguity” which allows the United States to recognise the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the sole and legitimate government of China, while permitting unofficial links with Taiwan, which seeks to maintain independence from China.
