MOFA condemns Beijing's 'false' statement after U.S.-China talks

Taipei, Aug. 29 (CNA) Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Thursday criticized China for "false" comments about Taiwan, noting that Beijing's military expansion has posed a significant risk to regional security.

MOFA said in a press release that it "strongly condemned" Beijing for making "false" comments about Taiwan in its official readout issued after a meeting between senior officials from China and the United States, adding that it had "deviated from reality."

MOFA was mostly likely referring to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (王毅) being cited as saying that efforts to push for Taiwanese independence posed "the greatest risk to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait."

The Chinese official also urged Washington to cease arms sales to Taipei and support China's "peaceful reunification" with Taiwan.

MOFA, in response, said Beijing's repeated intimidation against Taiwan and its ambitions to expand militarily were the "greatest sources of risk to regional peace and stability."

Moreover, China's support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine has endangered security across the Atlantic Ocean, MOFA said, adding that Beijing's ambitions have made it a "major global threat."

In July, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) labeled China as a "decisive enabler" of Russia's war against Ukraine, noting that Beijing had been sharing technology with Moscow.

MOFA added that the Republic of China (Taiwan's official name) and the People's Republic of China (PRC) were not subordinate to one another.

MOFA's statement came after Wang met with visiting U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Beijing on Tuesday and Wednesday, as part of efforts by the Chinese and U.S. governments to maintain channels of communication and manage their relations.

Both sides issued a readout after the two-day talks to summarize their discussions and respective remarks.

In its release, MOFA also said it "welcomed" the U.S. side expressing its attachment to the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait during the meeting in Beijing.

According to the readout issued by the White House, Sullivan "underscored the importance of maintaining peace and stability" across the Taiwan Strait during the talks.