Kenya affirms support for one-China principle, dismisses breakaway Taiwan

Kenya on Monday reiterated its position on the one-China principle, dismissing the clamour by Taiwan for independence.

This was even as China, through its embassy in Kenya, warned that anyone challenging China's sovereignty "will get burned for playing with fire".

Ambassador Jane Makori, the deputy director of Asia and Pacific Affairs, said the country's position was that Taiwan remains a province in the People's Republic of China.

"Kenya subscribes to the one-China principle and that Taiwan is part of China territory," she said.

The envoy said Kenya's stand was that the People's Republic of China was the sole legal representative of China following the 1971 UN General Assembly.

"Resolution 2578 affirmed that the PRC is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. Kenya was part of the negotiations and that is the position that we still hold," Makori said.

She added that Kenya will continue to be a dependable partner of China, including on the issue of Taiwan.

She spoke at a symposium organized by the Chinese Embassy in Nairobi on the Taiwan question and China's reunification in the new era.

For his part, Chinese ambassador to Kenya Zhou Pingjian dismissed those pushing for separation saying such efforts would achieve nothing.

He pointed to external forces as fuelling the separatist agenda.

"Relying on external forces will achieve nothing for Taiwan's separatists, and using Taiwan to contain China is doomed to fail," Pingjian said.

He said a peaceful reunification was the first choice of the Communist Party of China and the President Xi Jinping administration.

He dismissed the inauguration of Lai Ching-te as "president of Taiwan".

"Taiwan has never been a country and there is no such thing as 'president of Taiwan's," Pingjian said.

He stated that after the elections in Taiwan in January, more than 180 countries - Kenya included, reaffirmed their commitment to the one-China principle.

"The elections of the Taiwan region are just local elections in one part of China. Whatever the results of the election, the basic fact that there's only one China in the world and Taiwan is part of China will not change," he said, adding that the international community's prevailing consensus on upholding the one-China principle will not change.

He said that since the Taiwan question was China's internal affair, anyone challenging it was challenging China's sovereignty.

"Challenging the one-China principle is challenging international order and is interfering in China's internal affairs and infringing upon China's sovereignty and will face the joint opposition of the Chinese people and the international community," Dr Pingjian said.

Several local politicians and heads of think tanks attended the meeting including Defence Committee chairman Nelson Koech.

The Belgut MP said Parliament associates itself with the government's position in support of the one country-two systems principle in the Taiwan question.

"In January, Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi said Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory. Those are the sentiments that we consider as the position of Parliament," Koech said.

"China is one, any position to the contrary is a nullity," the MP said.

He was joined by colleagues Yusuf Hassan (Kamukunji), Shakeel Shabbir (Kisumu East), John Makali (Kanduyi), Japhet Nyakundi (Kitutu Chache North), Stephen Mogaka (West Mugirango), Esther Passaris (Nairobi), and Senator Veronica Maina.

Former CS Raphael Tuju also backed the sentiments saying what was happening in Taiwan was a perfect example of diplomatic deceit.

"There is a potential disruption of world stability," he said, adding that if China had no business rivalry with the foreign forces believed to be agitating for the secession, there would be a clamour for integration.

Kenya said it would stand with China citing the Sh38 billion trade opportunities and Sh131 billion Chinese investments in the country.

The legislators present also had this to say;

Shakeel, "On behalf of wananchi, we don't know what Taiwan is. We don't understand what they want. My people of Kisumu don't know Taiwan."

Maina, "We applaud you (China) for taking a peaceful resolution as a route to resolving this matter. Many times military intervention ends up hurting women and children more."

Yusuf, "The inauguration in Taiwan is like announcing a governor of a county as is our case."