ISTANBUL

China summoned the South Korean ambassador on Thursday night and lodged a strong protest with Seoul over “erroneous remarks on the Taiwan issue” in a joint statement by the US and South Korea.

Liu Jinsong, the Chinese Foreign Ministry chief for Asian affairs, discussed the issue with Kang Sang-wook, Seoul’s top diplomat in China, a ministry statement said.

In Wednesday’s joint statement, US President Joe Biden and his South Korean counterpart Yoon Suk Yeol reiterated the “importance of preserving peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of security and prosperity in the region.”

China considers Taiwan its breakaway province, while Taipei has insisted on its independence since 1949.

“There is only one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory,” Liu told Kang.

“The Taiwan issue is purely China's internal affairs and the core of China's core interests.”

The Chinese diplomat said the resolution of the Taiwan issue “is the Chinese people's own business, and no force will be allowed to intervene.”