BEIJING - The Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that the Taiwan question is "at the very core of China's core interests" and "the very foundation of the political foundation of China-US relations", when asked to comment on speculation that Taiwan will be China's top concern at a reportedly upcoming meeting between the Chinese and US leaders.

Spokesperson for the ministry Lin Jian said that abiding by the one-China principle, the three China-US joint communiques, and honoring the commitments made by successive US administrations on the Taiwan question, are international obligations that the United States must fulfill.

They are also a necessary prerequisite for the stable, sound, and sustainable development of China-US relations, he added.

"China's resolve to safeguard national reunification and territorial integrity is firm and unwavering," Lin said at a regular news briefing.

He stressed that "Taiwan independence" separatism is as incompatible with peace across the Taiwan Strait as fire is with water, adding that to maintain cross-Strait peace and stability, one must unequivocally oppose "Taiwan independence" separatism.

Paraguay urged to sever 'diplomatic ties' with Taiwan authorities

Meanwhile, he urges the Paraguay authority to stand on the right side of history at an early date, make the right choice of recognizing the one-China principle and severing the so-called diplomatic ties with Taiwan authorities, as Paraguay's president has made a provocative visit to China's Taiwan region. 

The one-China principle is a basic norm in international relations and the prevailing consensus in the international community, and 183 countries have established diplomatic ties with China on the basis of the one-China principle, Lin stressed.

With Xinhua inputs