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China’s foreign ministry expressed surprise after India clarified a recent discussion with Chinese diplomats about Taiwan. At a press conference on Thursday, spokesperson Mao Ning warned New Delhi to “properly handle sensitive issues.”
Newsweek contacted the Indian Ministry of External Affairs for comment.
Why It Matters
Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China (ROC), is a self-governing democracy with its own government, military, and foreign relations. However, only 12 countries recognize it officially. The ROC retreated to Taiwan in 1949 after losing the civil war to communist forces led by Mao Zedong, who established the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in Beijing in October of that year.
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The PRC claims Taiwan as its territory and requires countries engaging with it to recognize the government in Beijing as the sole legal authority over China. This is known as the One-China Principle.
Gao Jie/Xinhua via AP
What To Know
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited New Delhi from Monday to Wednesday for the 24th round of border talks with India. The discussions aimed to smooth out tensions that peaked after a deadly 2020 clash in Ladakh.
On Tuesday, Wang met with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar for wide-ranging talks. China’s statement briefly mentioned Taiwan, saying the two sides agreed “Taiwan is part of China.”
The Indian side corrected this, stating there was “no change in its position” on Taiwan. Jaishankar conveyed that India maintains relationships with Taiwan focused on economic, technological, and cultural ties, which would continue. The statement added that India also cooperates with Taiwan in these domains.
Spokesperson Mao Ning said the Indian “clarification” was “inconsistent with the facts.” She warned New Delhi to “earnestly abide by the One China Principle and properly handle sensitive issues,” reiterating Beijing’s claim over Taiwan.
What People Are Saying
Sana Hashmi, postdoctoral fellow at the Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation, wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “One of Beijing’s aims is to bring back explicit references to the One-China principle in official statements. That, however, is unlikely until the border dispute is resolved and India’s red lines are respected.”
What’s Next
Wang and Ajit Doval, special representative of the Indian side and national security advisor, reached a 10-point consensus after a separate meeting on Tuesday. They agreed to hold the 25th round of border talks in China in 2026.
They also decided to share emergency hydrological information on transboundary rivers and reopen three traditional border trade markets.
