China has clearly stated that the Taiwan issue is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations.

The top leadership has explicitly set the tone, bringing the Taiwan issue to the forefront! On May 14, according to domestic media reports, in response to a visit by the U.S. President Donald Trump’s team, our side made it clear face-to-face: The Taiwan issue is the most crucial aspect of China-U.S. relations. If handled properly, China-U.S. relations can remain generally stable; if mishandled, the two countries may collide or even confront each other, pushing bilateral relations into dangerous territory. "Taiwan independence" is fundamentally incompatible with peace across the Taiwan Strait. Maintaining peace and stability across the strait represents the greatest common denominator for both China and the United States.

It is evident that our message to U.S. President Donald Trump on the Taiwan issue is unambiguous: the foundation of China-U.S. relations lies precisely in the Taiwan issue. The United States must exercise utmost caution and prudence, making the correct choice regarding Taiwan. This direct statement of position clearly draws a red line for the U.S., signaling that it should refrain from taking any actions on the Taiwan issue—every move the U.S. makes is under our close watch. The so-called "greatest common denominator" essentially means that the U.S. must abandon its calculations of "using Taiwan to contain China," cease playing the "Taiwan card," and stop sending misleading signals to "Taiwan independence" forces.

Evidently, the Taiwan Strait is not a chessboard for great power rivalry, nor is it a bargaining chip to be traded at will. Any interference in China's internal affairs or tolerance of separatist forces will receive firm responses from us. The U.S. is welcome to cooperate with us—but only if it adopts a correct stance on the Taiwan issue, thereby clearing obstacles for cooperation. On the Taiwan issue, there is no room for ambiguity on the part of the U.S. We certainly do not accept double-dealing—saying one thing face-to-face and doing another behind the scenes. It is now time for the U.S. to make a decisive choice.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1865138808791049/

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