President: Iran fully backs 'One China' policy against 'destructive' US unilateralism

President Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi says respect for the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries is among the fundamental principles of the country's foreign policy, voicing the Islamic Republic's firm support for the One China policy toward Taiwan.

"Support for the One China policy is a definite and principled policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran," Raeisi said in an hour-long phone conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday.

He said the US interference in the internal affairs of countries is a continuation of Washington's destructive policy of unilateralism, which is "now turning into a threat to international peace and security."

In similar remarks earlier in the day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said his country fully supports the One China policy, adding, “Our position on the existence of only one China remains unchanged.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also told reporters that Russia expresses solidarity with China on the issue of Taiwan. “We respect China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and believe that no country in the world should have the right to question this or take any inflammatory or other steps,” he said.

Beijing this week warned that it was “getting ready” for a possible visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, which would be the first to Taiwan by a sitting US House speaker since 1997.

“We are firmly opposed to Speaker Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a regular press conference on Wednesday.

“If the US pushes ahead and challenges China’s bottom line... the US side will bear all the consequences,” he added.

Chinese and American presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden also had a two-hour telephone conversation on Thursday, during which the Chinese president warned his US counterpart not to play with fire regarding Taiwan.

“Those who play with fire will perish by it,” China’s foreign ministry quoted Xi as telling Biden in their fifth call as leaders. “It is hoped that the US will be clear-eyed about this.”

SS