Did Jaishankar Say ‘Taiwan is Part of China’ as Beijing Claims?

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Beijing says Jaishankar affirmed “One-China Policy” in meeting with Wang Yi, but New Delhi’s statement avoids mention

By TRH Global Affairs Desk

NEW DELHI, August 19, 2025 — Observers raised eyebrows after China’s Foreign Ministry released a statement claiming that Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar affirmed that “Taiwan is a part of China” during his meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in New Delhi.

The Chinese-language version of the MFA statement attributed the remark directly to Jaishankar, using the phrase “台湾是中国的一部分” (“Taiwan is a part of China”). Screenshots of the statement were widely shared by China observers on X, including journalist Aadil Brar, who flagged the significant diplomatic nuance.

“Chinese Foreign Ministry released a statement after the meeting between Foreign Ministers Wang Yi and S. Jaishankar in New Delhi. The Chinese version of the statement has S. Jaishankar as saying ‘Taiwan is part of China’,” said Brar in a post on X.

However, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued its own statement after the meeting, which made no reference to Taiwan or the “One-China Policy.” New Delhi has generally avoided invoking the phrase in recent years, with the last official mention traced back to August 2022 during a press briefing around the time of then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei.

Since 2010, references to the “One-China Policy” have gradually disappeared from India-China joint statements, reflecting New Delhi’s cautious positioning amid closer ties with Taiwan and growing tensions with Beijing.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a statement, stating opening remarks made by Jaishankar in his meeting with the Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister. “Having seen a difficult period in our relationship, Excellency, our two nations now seek to move ahead. This requires a candid and constructive approach from both sides,” the MEA quoted Jaishankar saying in the meeting with Wang.

The MEA further quoted the Minister, saying that “we must be guided by the three mutuals – mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest. Differences must not become disputes, nor competition conflict.”

The Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister in India is for the 24th round of talks between the Special Representatives of India and China. This is also the first visit by a Chinese Minister since Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a delegation level meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping in Kazan in October 2024.
The Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister will also be calling on the Prime Minister on Tuesday.

Diplomatic observers are keenly watching evolving relations between India and China in the backdrop of New Delhi’s straining ties with Washington after US President Donald Trump singled out India for excessive tariffs. Taiwan is incidentally a key pivot of Washinton in the Indo-Pacific.

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