Taiwan responds to Russia's statement on 'United China'

"Taiwan is a sovereign and independent country and is not part of the People's Republic of China. China has never ruled Taiwan for a single day. This is an objective fact and the status quo," the statement said.

The ministry noted that on January 13, the people of Taiwan again elected the next president in an honest, fair, and open manner, which is a democratic achievement recognized by countries around the world.

"Russia has voluntarily become a thug of the Chinese communist regime and deliberately followed China's delusion of the "united China principle" after the elections in our country. This not only does not contribute to the stability of the situation in the Taiwan Strait but also proves once again that the merging of Chinese and Russian authoritarianism is detrimental to international peace, stability, and rule-based international order," the statement said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs added that Taiwan will not succumb to pressure and diplomatic suppression by the authoritarian Chinese government.

What Russia said

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that Russia's position on Taiwan is "well-known, consistent and unchanged."

"The Russian side recognizes that there is only one China in the world, the Chinese government is the only legitimate government representing all of China, and Taiwan is an integral part of China. The Russian side opposes Taiwan's independence in any form," she emphasized.

Elections in Taiwan

The day before, Taiwan held presidential elections. The pro-Western candidate Lai Ching-te of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won the election.

Against the backdrop of the election, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said that Washington is planning a visit by a delegation of congressmen to Taiwan after the inauguration of the president-elect.

Read more about whether the elections in Taiwan will lead to a new conflict in RBC-Ukraine's article.