China warns Biden that inviting Taiwan to his democracy summit is a 'mistake' after Xi told him he was 'playing with fire'

#1:China warns Biden that inviting Taiwan to his democracy summit is a 'mistake' after Xi told him he was 'playing with fire

 

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China said the US made a "mistake" in inviting Taiwan to Biden's upcoming democracy summit.
Xi Jinping recently warned that Biden was "playing with fire" when it came to Taiwan.
Tensions over Taiwan have contributed to an extraordinarily thorny dynamic between the US and China.
The Chinese government told President Joe Biden that inviting Taiwan to his upcoming democracy summit was a "mistake."
China opposes "any official interaction between the US and China's Taiwan region," Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, said on Wednesday, according to The Guardian.
China's foreign ministry said it was "firmly opposed" to Taiwan's participation in the summit.
"US actions only go to show democracy is just a cover and a tool for it to advance its geopolitical objectives, oppress other countries, divide the world and serve its own interests," Zhao Lijian, a foreign ministry spokesperson, told reporters, per Reuters.
A list of participants in the summit was published on Tuesday, which showed that Taiwan was among the 110 invitees. The summit is set to occur virtually on December 9 and 10.
"Taiwan has been and will be engaged in Summit participation in a manner consistent with the US 'one China' policy, which is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the three Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances, and in recognition of Taiwan's role as a leading democracy," a senior Biden administration official told Insider.
"We believe that Taiwan can make meaningful commitments toward the Summit's objectives of countering authoritarianism, fighting against corruption, and advancing respect for human rights at home and abroad," the official said.
The official added that Taiwan's "experience in advancing a more transparent, responsive, and vibrant democracy serves as a powerful example," describing it as a "global leader in developing best practices for safeguarding against disinformation and foreign interference, in the use of emerging technology to make governance more transparent and responsive, and in promoting and protecting the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons."
Digital Minister Audrey Tang and Hsiao Bi-khim, Taiwan's representative in Washington, will represent their government at the summit "to showcase Taiwan's world-class expertise on issues of transparent governance, human rights, and countering disinformation, consistent with the US 'one China' policy," the official said.
The US's relationship with China is at a historic low, with tensions over Taiwan at the heart of the rift.
Last week, Chinese President Xi Jinping cautioned Biden against promoting Taiwanese independence, saying that the US was "playing with fire" when it came to Taiwan. The Chinese government considers Taiwan, a self-governed island democracy, a breakaway province.
"Such moves are extremely dangerous, just like playing with fire," Xi said during a virtual meeting with Biden last week, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. "Whoever plays with fire will get burnt," Xi added.