Media professionals from around the world voiced their firm support for the one-China principle during an international media tour in the eastern Chinese province of Fujian on Friday.
Speaking with the China Global Television Network (CGTN) in Xiamen City, the "China Up Close" tour participants from countries including Samoa, Pakistan, the Philippines, the Maldives and Iran said they all stand by their respective governments' position that there is only one China in the world, Taiwan is an inseparable part of China, and the Taiwan affair is China's internal affair.
"Taiwan is a part of China. It's always been a part of China," said Marc John Membrere, reporter of Savali, a Samoan government newspaper.
"Pakistan has always agreed on the one-China policy, so this is so clear," said Mir Salam Khan Jogezai, senior journalist of the Pakistan Television Corporation.
"There is already an agreement among international countries that they already agreed and respect that it is an internal affair," said Philippine freelancer Ernesto S. Abines Jr.
"Taiwan is a province of China," Ibrahim Hulai, news anchor and producer of the Maldives' Dhaaris TV.
They all back a peaceful reunification of China, saying that people across the Taiwan Strait belong to the same family. Some also say that it is legitimate for China to take necessary steps to handle its internal affairs.
"They can live peacefully. They are all the same people. They're all under one China," Marc John Membrere said, adding "I think the Taiwan issue could be solved peacefully".
"China has every right to flex its muscle, or at least, its right in its own backyard. If you cannot protect your [own] interests, you cannot protect the world," said Ernesto S. Abines Jr.
"Only peace, dialogue, harmony is the solution of every problem," said Mir Salam Khan Jogezai.
"It's just like we're brothers by geography, culture, blood, language, our DNAs. We are Chinese," Ernesto S. Abines Jr. added.
Marc John Membrere said the one-China principle has always been the prevailing consensus in the international community, citing his own experience of interacting with students from around the world in China, including Taiwan.
"I have studied with a few students in universities here and every single one of them, none of them has ever told me that Taiwan is a country. They have all said Taiwan is a province of China, they are part of the motherland," he said.
Mahnaz Abdi, editor of Iran's Tehran Times newspaper, said her country is also a steadfast supporter of the one-China principle.
"Iran's policy toward the issue of Taiwan has been always to respect the principle of one China, and in the sense that Taiwan has been always an inseparable part of China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity," she said.
The week-long "China Up Close" tour started on May 19, bringing together dozens of media professionals from 18 countries across the Asia Pacific region for them to experience the country's development and engage in extensive exchanges.
Foreign media professionals support one-China principle
