In February 2023, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed the Minister of Finance, José Antonio Ocampo, that, in order to strengthen international policy with Chinese people’s governmentall national, local, and departmental officials were asked not to contact the delegation from Taiwan.

This request, issued by Deputy Foreign Minister ChancellorFrancisco Coy, another dependency of the national Government is urged to comply with the initiative from “One China” with which they tried to escape the independence proclaimed by the president of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen.

Allow me to draw your attention to the importance of embracing and implementing the ‘One China’ principle by all public officials belonging to the executive branch”, says the text, in which they reaffirm that the government Colombian President Gustavo Petrorecognizes China as a legitimate nation and therefore does not “maintain official or quasi-official diplomatic relations with the Taiwan Territory”, which is officially a the Asian island nation.

Internal political issues between China and Taiwan date back several years. The Beijing government doesn’t want the islands to be independent because historical link that the two territories have owned since time immemorial. But what does Colombia have to do with it, and in particular petrol government about this problem?

Activists and lawyers, close to the right, Daniel Bricenopublished on its Twitter account the Foreign Ministry instructions to all national Governments and reported, in part, the Executive’s position on foreign policy from that part of Asia. Some netizens started questioning President Petro and his cabinet for allegedly supporting a regime.

infobae colombia consulted about it and proved that, in that document, there is nothing major new because of the national Government, like the others 180 countries in the worldrecognizes the government of the Chinese president, Xi Jinpingas legitimate, confirmed David Castrillon-Kerrigan, a professor and researcher at the Universidad Externado de Colombia, who is also a sinologist (expert on Chinese affairs).

“When we recognize the government in Beijing (China), we acknowledge that it is the government of all chinaas well as recognizing Colombia and recognizing it it is also the government for San Andrés and for Catatumbo and for the territory of the country, even if they are under the control of other powers”, explained the professor.

Accordingly, Castrillon ensured that the Petro government, later, does not give new instructions or in contrast to China, but recognizes that Taiwan is part of the territory and, therefore, does not have an embassy or consul there. The same thing is done, according to sinologists, by similar nations United States, France and United Kingdom.

Even experts on Asian affairs assure that this decision is not new and even came from the previous government. “This is something they have done all other governments the previous ones: Duque, Santos, Uribe. No matter how far we go back, because there is a relationship, this is always a guideline. Perhaps in this case the only thing that is different is that the instructions were revealed. But that’s nothing new,” Castrillon added.

Faced with objections from some Internet users who claim that the Petro government supports a dictatorial regime, the expert discredits this statement because, if so, “all past Colombian governments have been dictators because they all had the same practices,” he added Guru.

This situation occurred within the framework of the controversy that was sparked, a few days ago, when the Taiwanese leader visited Guatemala, Belize and arrived in the United States to meet with Kevin McCarthy, president of the North American country’s House of Representatives.