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By Micah McCartney
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China's foreign ministry expressed surprise after its Indian counterpart issued a clarification over China's account of a recent Taiwan-centered discussion between the countries' top diplomats.
Speaking to reporters Thursday, ministry spokesperson Mao Ning also warned New Delhi to "properly handle sensitive issues."
Newsweek reached out to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs by email with a request for comment.
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Why It Matters
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a self-governing democracy with its own elected government military, and foreign relations, though only 12 countries recognize it officially. The ROC government retreated to Taiwan in 1949 after losing the civil war to communist forces, whose leader, Mao Zedong, established the People's Republic of China in Beijing in October of the same year.
The People's Republic of China claims Taiwan as its territory and demands countries engaging in diplomatic relations with it to recognize the government in Beijing as the sole legal government of China, in what it calls the One China Principle.
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What To Know
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was in New Delhi from Monday to Wednesday for the 24th round of border talks with India, part of efforts by the regional rivals to smooth out tensions that peaked after a deadly 2020 clash in Ladakh.
Wang met Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday for wide-ranging talks. China's readout briefly addressed Taiwan, saying the two sides agreed that "Taiwan is part of China."
The Indian side issued what was effectively a correction, with the Ministry of External Affairs stressing there was "no change in its position" on Taiwan.
Jaishankar conveyed that, "like the rest of the world, India had a relationship with Taiwan that focuses on economic, technological and cultural ties and that this would continue. The Indian side noted that China also cooperates with Taiwan in these very domains," the statement added.
Spokesperson Mao Ning said India's "so-called clarification" was "inconsistent with the facts."
"Some people in India have tried to undermine China's sovereignty on the Taiwan question and impede improvement of China-India relations."
She then urged New Delhi to "earnestly abide by the One China Principle and properly handle sensitive issues," reiterating Beijing's claim over Taiwan.
What People Are Saying
Sana Hashmi, postdoctoral fellow at the Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation, wrote on X (formerly Twitter): "One of Beijing's aims is to bring back explicit references to the One-China principle in official statements.
"That, however, is unlikely until the border dispute is resolved and India's red lines are respected."
What's Next
Wang and Ajit Doval, special representative of the Indian side and national security advisor, reached a 10-point consensus after a separate meeting on Tuesday. They agreed to hold a 25th round of border talks in China in 2026.
They also agreed to keep sharing emergency hydrological information on transboundary rivers and to reopen three traditional border trade markets.
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