China lodges complaint with ROK over Taiwan designation

China criticized the Gwangju Biennale on Thursday for allowing the Taiwan region to participate under a designation that is incompatible with its status and urged the Republic of Korea government to take concrete action to uphold the one-China principle.

After the situation came to light, the Chinese exhibition team announced it would withdraw from the Gwangju Biennale in protest.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said in an online statement that the incompatible designation for the region was a grave violation of the one-China principle and that China had lodged serious representations with the Republic of Korea demanding the situation be immediately rectified.

The China-Republic of Korea joint communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations states clearly that "the government of the Republic of Korea recognizes the government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal government of China and respects China's position that there is only one China and Taiwan is part of China".

Seoul has also clearly stated on many occasions this year that its commitment to the one-China principle remains unchanged, Guo noted.

"We hope that the ROK government will honor its political commitments, earnestly shoulder its responsibilities," he said.

He added that it would be despicable if the Democratic Progressive Party exploited occasions such as cultural exchanges, conferences, and exhibitions to engage in political manipulation and to make "Taiwan independence" provocations.

Such political schemes would be doomed to fail, he said.