MOSCOW, December 30. /TASS/. Beijing and Washington could move closer together, but any rapprochement would require the United States to cease its support for Taiwan’s separatist policy, Leonid Slutsky, chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs and leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, told TASS.
"I believe that any rapprochement between Washington and Beijing today is possible only if, among other things, they give up their support for Taiwan’s separatist policy," the lawmaker said.
Slutsky described the Taiwan issue as a "long-standing" conflict in which, he said, "fuel is periodically poured on the fire." He added that Russia’s position on Taiwan remains firm.
"From our standpoint, Taiwan is an integral part of China, and it will not be otherwise," the MP stressed.
In mid-December, the Focus Taiwan news website reported that the US government had approved the sale of several arms packages to Taiwan, including HIMARS systems, anti-tank missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles, with a total estimated value of $11.1 billion.
