China lodges diplomatic protest with India over new Taiwan office in Mumbai

China has lodged a diplomatic protest with India over the newly established Taiwanese office in Mumbai. It said that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, and has urged India to “strictly abide by the commitments” it made.

China’s protests come over the new Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre (TECC) office in Mumbai. TECC now has three offices in India, including in Delhi and Chennai. 

 “There is but one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory. China strongly opposes all forms of official contact and interaction between Taiwan and countries having diplomatic relations with China, including the establishment of representative offices for each other. We have lodged solemn representations to the Indian side,” said China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning. 

The one-China principle is a serious political commitment made by the Indian side and serves as the political foundation for China-India relations, Mao said. 

“China urges the Indian side to strictly abide by the commitments it has made, prudently and properly settle the Taiwan-related issues, not to conduct any form of official interaction with Taiwan and avoid disturbing the process to improve the China-India relationship,” she said.

Earlier this year, China had lodged a  diplomatic protest with India over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh, where he had dedicated the newly-built Sela Tunnel to the nation. China recognises Arunachal as “Zangnan” and called it a Chinese territory. "China never recognised the so-called Arunachal Pradesh illegally set up by India and firmly opposes it," it said, adding that India has no right to “arbitrarily develop” the area of Zangnan in China.

India, dismissing China’s claims, responded that it does not matter what China calls Arunachal Pradesh, the state was, is, and will always remain an integral part of the country.