Q: On September 16, the Solomon Islands' government decided at a cabinet meeting that it would recognize the one-China principle and sever "diplomatic ties" with the Taiwan authorities and establish diplomatic relationship with China. What's your comment?

A: China highly commends the decision of the Solomon Islands' government to recognize the one-China principle and sever the so-called "diplomatic ties" with the Taiwan authorities. We support the Solomon Islands in making such an important decision as a sovereign and independent country.

There is but one China in the world and the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government that represents the whole of China. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. These are basic facts and the universal consensus of the international community. On the basis of the one-China principle, China has established official diplomatic relationships with 178 countries. The decision of the Solomon Islands' government to recognize the one-China principle and establish diplomatic ties with China again fully testifies to the fact that the one-China principle meets the shared aspiration of the people and constitutes an irresistible trend of the times.

The relations between China and Pacific island countries maintain a momentum for rapid development. In November 2018, President Xi Jinping paid a successful visit to Papua New Guinea and met with leaders of the Pacific island countries that have diplomatic ties with China, opening up a new chapter in our relations. The people of China and the Solomon Islands enjoy long-term friendly exchanges and sentiments towards each other. We welcome the Solomon Islands' integration into the big family of China-Pacific islands cooperation on the basis of the one-China principle at an early date by seizing the historical opportunity. We stand ready to work with the Solomon islands to open new broad prospects for our bilateral relations.