Pakistan committed to ‘One China Policy’: FO

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday reaffirmed its strong commitment to its ‘One China Policy’ while firmly supporting China’s sovereignty and expressed its deep concern over the evolving situation in the Taiwan Strait.

A statement from the Foreign Office, after the arrival of US Speaker Nancy Pelosi in Taiwan which saw a strong reaction from China, noted that the present situation has serious implications for regional peace and stability.

Media reports said that China demonstrated its outrage over the highest-level US visit to the island in 25 years with a burst of military activity in surrounding waters, summoning the US ambassador in Beijing and halting several agricultural imports from Taiwan.

Some of China’s planned military exercises were to take place within Taiwan’s 12 nautical mile sea and air territory, according to Taiwan’s defence ministry, an unprecedented move a senior defence official described to reporters as “amounting to a sea and air blockade of Taiwan”.

“The world is already reeling through a critical security situation due to the Ukraine conflict, with destabilising implications for international food and energy security. The world cannot afford another crisis that has negative consequences for global peace, security and economy”, cautioned the spokesman at the Foreign Office.

The spokesman pointed out Pakistan strongly believes that inter-state relations should be based on mutual respect, non-interference in internal affairs and peaceful resolution of issues by upholding principles of UN charter, international law and bilateral agreements.