China asks India to adhere to the 'One China policy', not to enter into any agreement with Taiwan

The growing clamour in India for a review of the 'One China policy' has irked China

Beijing on Tuesday not only called the Tibetan Government in Exile based in India “a separatist political organization”, but also asked New Delhi to adhere to the 'One China policy' and refrain from entering into any agreement with Taiwan.

China fumed as the United States recently for the first time hosted Lobsang Sangay, the Sikyong (President) of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile (TGiE), at the State Department in Washington D.C. and made yet another subtle move to lent a degree of legitimacy the entity based in India.

What also irked Beijing is the growing clamour in India for a review of the 'One China policy' and expanding the relations with Taiwan, including holding trade talks with President Tsai Ing-wen’s government in Taipei.

“The so-called Tibetan Government-in-Exile is a separatist political organization with the agenda of pursuing independence of Tibet,” Zhao Lijian, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Chinese Government, said. “It is completely in violation of China’s Constitution and laws and is not recognized by any country.”

Sangay was hosted by senior US diplomat Robert A Destro, whom President Donald Trump’s administration earlier last week appointed as the new US Special Coordinator for issues related to Tibet, triggering strong protest from China.

Zhao said that Sangay was “utterly an anti-China separatist”. “China firmly opposes Lobsang Sangay conducting anti-China separatist activities in whatever capacity, name or country, and we firmly oppose engagement of whatever form between him and officials of any country.”

The Dalai Lama set up the TGiE – formally called the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) – on April 29, 1959, just a few weeks after he arrived in India following his escape from Tibet, which had been occupied by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in 1950-51. The CTA, which has its headquarters in Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh, calls itself the “continuation of the government of independent Tibet”.

Beijing has since long been nudging New Delhi to dismantle the TGiE, which is elected by the Tibetans living in exile in India, the US and other countries around the world and is likely to lead the struggle to free Tibet from China’s occupation beyond the lifetime of octogenarian Dalai Lama.

Zhao on Tuesday alleged that Destro’s meeting with Sangay had “seriously breached” the US Government’s commitment and policy stance of not supporting the demand for independence of Tibet and of not recognizing the TGiE.

The US move came amid China’s growing belligerence, not only along the disputed boundary with India in eastern Ladakh but also in the Taiwan Strait as well as in the disputed waters of the South China Sea and the East China Sea.

Beijing was also irked by media-reports indicating the possibility of India starting trade talks with Taiwan.

“There is only one China and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. The one-China principle is the common consensus of the international community, including India, and also serves as the political foundation for China to develop relations with any other country,” said the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the communist country’s government.

“China is firmly opposed to any official exchanges of any form and the signing of any agreement of official nature between Taiwan and any country having diplomatic relations with China. The Indian side should earnestly abide by the one-China principle and handle the Taiwan question prudently and properly.”