Russia Supports China's Firm Warning Against US On Taiwan, Kremlin: Such Behavior Only Causes Tension

JAKARTA - The Kremlin agrees with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who in a telephone conversation warned US President Joe Biden not to play with fire regarding Washington's stance on Taiwan.

"Undoubtedly, we are in solidarity. We respect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and think that no country in the world has the right to question it or carry out seditious measures or otherwise," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Peskov further explained that Washington's attitude towards Taiwan will only cause more tension, in a world that is already full of problems.

"We believe that such behavior on the international stage can only lead to further tension, with a world already strained by many regional and global problems. Of course, such measures can only be destructive," Peskov said.

Previously, the leaders of China and the US discussed Taiwan in telephone conversations. The parties note that Washington and Beijing differ on this issue, but it is necessary to keep the channels of communication open.

President Xi Jinping said the United States must adhere to the "one-China principle" and stressed that China firmly opposes Taiwan's independence and the interference of external powers.

"Those who play with fire will perish because of it," China's Foreign Ministry quoted President Xi as saying to President Biden in their fifth call as leader.

Meanwhile, President Biden told President Xi that US policy on Taiwan has not changed and that Washington strongly opposes unilateral attempts to change the status quo or undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, the White House said, referring to the 100-mile-wide waterway that separates the island Taiwan. from the mainland.

The dialogue between the two leaders comes amid rising tensions between Washington and Beijing over the Taiwan issue, sparked by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's intention to visit the island.

Taiwan has been ruled by its local government since 1949 when the remaining Kuomintang troops led by Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975) fled to the island after suffering defeat in China's civil war.

Since then, Taiwan has preserved the flag and several other symbols of the Republic of China that existed in mainland China before the Communists came to power. Beijing regards the island as one of its provinces and this position is supported by most countries, including Russia.