ROSEAU, Dominica (CMC) — Dominica Wednesday condemned the visit of the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan, saying it represented a “serious violation” of the One China principle.

China has condemned the visit and announced military exercises near Taiwan, which Beijing considers to be a renegade province.

A statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here notes that the action “seriously infringes on China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and gravely undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait”.

Dominica, like several other Caribbean Community (Caricom) countries, have established diplomatic relations with China, while Taiwan has relations with at least five Caribbean countries.

“The Commonwealth of Dominica firmly supports the One China principle, recognising as its core concept, that there is but One China and that Taiwan is a part of China’s territory and that the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China.”

Roseau said that this core concept has become a “basic norm governing international relations”, noting that to date 181 countries around the world, including Dominica, have established diplomatic relations with China on the basis of the One China principle.

“Dominica maintains that Taiwan is wholly China’s internal affair and urges the international community to refrain from meddling in Taiwan’s affairs and engaging in any official interactions with China-Taiwan region in the interest of China-US relations and…peace and stability”.

China and Dominica established diplomatic relations in 2004.

Earlier, St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, who is due to begin an official visit to Taiwan later this week, urged China to desist from conducting military exercises near the Asian country.

“I want to say that the Government of St Vincent and Grenadines is calling upon the People’s Republic of China to desist from the military exercises, designed to threaten or intimidate the people of Taiwan,” said Gonsalves, who will be on a one week visit to Taiwan, after spending two days in New York.

Gonsalves said that the 23 million people in Taiwan are building their own society as a first world country.

“They came virtually from nowhere. They have a thriving democracy. Like all societies they have all kinds of contradictions and challenges but they’re doing quite well. And the people’s views are represented in the Government and they have their form of government, it’s a participatory democracy.”