Chinese embassy in Ireland expresses opposition to China-related motion passed by Irish Senate

DUBLIN -- The Chinese embassy in Ireland on Thursday issued a statement, expressing strong dissatisfaction with and firm opposition to a China-related motion recently passed by Seanad Eireann or the Irish Senate.

"The motion blatantly violates the one-China principle and wantonly interferes in China's internal affairs," said a spokesperson for the embassy in the statement.

"There is only one China in the world ... Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory," said the spokesperson, adding that the one-China principle is the political foundation of China-Ireland relations.

The spokesperson said, "issues concerning Taiwan, Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Xizang are purely China's internal affairs and cannot be the subject of any external interference ... and any attempt to smear China with so-called 'human rights' and obstruct China's development and stability is doomed to fail."

"We urge those Irish politicians to respect China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity, respect the Chinese people's aspiration to realize national reunification as much as they respect the Irish people's aspiration to realize national reunification, and abide by the one-China principle, so as to preserve the healthy development of China-Ireland relations," the spokesperson said.