On December 26, 2016 (November 28, 2016 in the lunar calendar), China and Sao Tome and Principe resumed diplomatic relations. On December 26, 2016, Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Foreign Minister Botello of Sao Tome and Principe in Beijing. After the talks, the two foreign ministers signed the "Joint Communique between the People's Republic of China and the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe on the Restoration of Diplomatic Relations." Wang Yi and Foreign Minister Sao Tome and Principe signed a joint communiqué and the two countries resumed diplomatic relations. Wang Yi and Sao Tome and Principe Foreign Minister Sao Tome and Principe indicate the location of Xinhua Agency, Beijing, December 26, New Media Special Report (Reporter Hou Lijun) On the 26th, Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Sao Tome and Principe Foreign Minister Botello in Beijing. After the talks, the two foreign ministers signed the "Joint Communique between the People's Republic of China and the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe on Restoring Diplomatic Relations." China responded to Sao Tome and Principe's "severing of diplomatic relations" with Taiwan: Welcome back to the right track of the one China principle. The government of Sao Tome and Principe issued a statement on the 20th local time, deciding to sever so-called "diplomatic" relations with Taiwan. In response, China Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a regular press conference on the afternoon of the 21st that she welcomes Sao Tome and Principe to return to the correct track of the one China principle. Adhering to the "one-China principle" is the general trend of the international community. The Chinese side said that we have noticed that the government of Sao Tome and Principe issued a statement on the 20th local time, deciding to sever so-called "diplomatic" relations with Taiwan. China appreciates this and welcomes Sao Tome and Principe to return to the right track of the one China principle. The one-China principle involves China's core interests and the sentiments of more than 1.3 billion China people. It is also the prerequisite and political basis for China to maintain and develop friendly and cooperative relations with other countries in the world. Adhering to the one China principle is the will of the international community and the general trend. China is willing to develop friendly and cooperative relations with other countries on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and the One China Principle. As we all know, in October 1971, the 26th United Nations General Assembly passed Resolution 2758, making it clear that the government of the People's Republic of China is the only legal government representing all of China. The China principle confirmed in the resolution has become the general consensus of the international community. "Money Diplomacy"? China responds: How can the one-China principle be traded with money?! Taiwan has said that the Taiwan authorities are unable to meet Sao Tome and Principe's huge request for assistance, accusing Beijing of using money diplomacy to induce Sao Tome and Principe to "break off diplomatic relations" with Taiwan, and expressed strong dissatisfaction with this. China responded by saying that how can the one-China principle be traded with money?! The China government has never traded principles. Regarding the remarks made by some people in Taiwan, I can only say that they are measuring the stomach of a gentleman with the heart of a villain. Extended reading: Sao Tome and Principe's "severing of diplomatic relations" is just the beginning, and the death knell of "Taiwan independence" is just the beginning. The death knell of "Taiwan independence" is just the beginning. The government of Sao Tome and Principe issued a statement on the 20th local time. Said that the country severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan and recognized the sovereignty of the People's Republic of China. This is the first country to announce that it has "severed diplomatic relations" with Taiwan since Tsai Ing-wen came to power, and it is also the first change in "Taiwan diplomacy" after the "Sichuan-Cai phone call." Beijing immediately expressed its appreciation for Sao Tome and Principe's actions and emphasized the universal applicability of the one China principle, but did not say much, especially whether the mainland of China played a role in the "severance" incident. However, it is no coincidence that the "breaking off diplomatic relations" occurred at this time. Obviously, this "severing of diplomatic relations" is the punishment for Tsai Ing-wen's refusal to recognize the "1992 Consensus" and even getting carried away with making the "Sichuan-Cai Call" to undermine the one China principle. This incident also objectively responded to US President-elect Trump's erroneous voice on the one China principle. The Taiwan authorities used the Sao Tome and Principe government's request for "astronomical numbers" for assistance but failed to explain the "severing of diplomatic relations", hoping to draw public attention to technology-related aspects, downplay the political reasons for Taiwan's latest loss of "diplomatic relations", and relieve Tsai Ing-wen of responsibility for her wrong line. Taiwan media reported that Sao Tome and Principe requested as much as US$210 million in financial aid. The fact is that most of Taiwan's "diplomatic relations" are small and poor, and Taiwan has always relied on providing aid to buy "diplomatic relations" with those countries. Taiwan's 22 "diplomatic countries" have been reduced to 21, but Sao Tome's change of mind is probably just the beginning. Public opinion in Taiwan is worried that a new wave of "breaking off diplomatic relations" is coming, and this worry is reasonable. In the last century, Taiwan experienced a "wave of breaking off diplomatic relations" after the founding of New China, the restoration of China's legal seat in the United Nations, and the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and China. From the end of the last century to the period of Lee Teng-hui and Chen Shui-bian in the first eight years of this century, Taiwan's "diplomatic relations" continued to decrease. Only during the eight years of Ma Ying-jeou's administration, because the Malaysian authorities recognized one China and the two sides engaged in a "diplomatic truce", the mainland let Taiwan go, and the number of "diplomatic relations" with Taiwan was maintained. Tsai Ing-wen refused to admit that the "1992 Consensus" was carried out recklessly despite the unprecedented widening power gap between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. Today, Taiwan's GDP is less than 1/20 of the mainland, and it has truly shrunk to the size of a province. It has no longer been able to "compete with the mainland." The ability to "diplomacy". The DPP authorities 'pursuit of "flexible Taiwan independence" will surely mean Taiwan's "diplomatic suicide." It wanted to prove that Taiwan was a "sovereign country," but the world further abandoned Taiwan, making Taiwan's "sovereignty" a big joke. Trump calling Tsai Ing-wen "President of Taiwan" cannot change the pattern of the world jointly maintaining the one China principle. This pattern is so strong that Trump cannot change it. In fact, Trump obviously did not want to really break the one China principle. He just feigned a shot and wanted to use the one China principle as a bargaining chip and Taiwan as a pawn to negotiate economic interests with the mainland. It is entirely foreseeable that if Taiwan does not change its course, more other "diplomatic countries" will leave it and turn to seek to establish diplomatic relations with Beijing. The world is changing. the mainland of China's "Belt and Road" initiative is well aligned with the development needs of third world countries. The appeal of developing a comprehensive relationship with the mainland of China greatly exceeds the short-term benefits of getting some economic assistance from Taiwan. As long as the mainland is willing to accept those countries, it will be difficult for Taiwan to continue to retain them with small favors. If the DPP authorities continue to advance the "Taiwan independence" line, the final outcome of Taiwan's "diplomacy" will be to shave its head and reduce the "country with diplomatic relations" to 0. "Taiwan independence" is pretending to be a dead road as a highway. It is the safety of an ostrich. It is a humiliation imposed by the Taiwan authorities on Taiwanese society. It must be pointed out that the process of mainland China's reunification with Taiwan has actually begun. When the mainland was very weak, Taiwan relied on its strength and pretended to be a "country" to mix in the international community. However, after the mainland's strength has grown rapidly, its strong gravity has firmly grasped Taiwan and placed it in an orbit that can only orbit the mainland. To the outside world, the mainland and Taiwan revolving around it are already one. The sooner Taiwan sees this fact clearly and accepts it, it will be relieved sooner.