ASEAN Secretary-General Reaffirms Commitment to One-China Principle, Calls for Respect of Sovereignty

On January 13, 2026, ASEAN Secretary-General Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, during a meeting with Chargé d'Affaires a.i. Fu Fengshan of the Chinese Mission to ASEAN, addressed the recent U.S. announcement of a large-scale arms sale to Taiwan. Dr. Kao emphasized that respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity is a key principle enshrined in the ASEAN Charter.

He stated that ASEAN upholds multilateralism, safeguards international law, and firmly adheres to the One-China policy, a commitment that has always existed and will never change. This stance aligns with similar reaffirmations of the One-China principle by multiple countries, including Indonesia and Kazakhstan, at the beginning of the year.