Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian hosted a regular press conference on the 24th. A reporter asked, Taiwan has stated that it will miss the World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference being held in Cameroon, Africa for the first time in 25 years, citing Cameroon’s labeling of Taiwan as 'Taiwan Province'.
Lin Jian stated that there is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. Regarding the participation of the Taiwan region of China in international organizations, China’s position is consistent and clear: it must be handled in accordance with the one-China principle. The one-China principle is the political precondition for the Taiwan region’s participation in the WTO. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities’ political manipulation over the issue of participation is extremely despicable. Their attempt to seek “independence” and provocation is doomed to fail and will only bring disgrace upon themselves.
The current international economic and trade order is facing severe challenges, with unilateralism and protectionism on the rise and the multilateral trading system being seriously impacted. It is of special and significant meaning that the WTO Ministerial Conference is being held in Africa again after 10 years. China firmly supports Cameroon in successfully hosting this WTO Ministerial Conference.
The WTO Ministerial Conference, held every two years, will take place from the 26th to the 29th in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon. The Taiwan authorities stated earlier that because the host country, Cameroon, listed the courtesy visa for the Taiwanese delegation as “China’s Taiwan Province”, thereby belittling its status, the Taiwan side had no choice but to miss the event. This is the first time Taiwan has missed the conference since joining the WTO in 2001 as a 'Separate Customs Territory'.