CHINA’S ambassador to Australia today criticised politicians who visit the breakaway region of Taiwan, saying they are being used by separatists on the island.

Ambassador Xiao Qian was commenting in Sydney after an Australian parliamentary delegation visited Taiwan this week, and as a former prime minister plans to deliver a speech in Taipei next month. 

Mr Xiao said that Australian parliamentarians and former prime ministers who visit Taiwan “carry political significance.”

“It might be easily utilised by the political forces in Taiwan for their independent forces movement, for their secession movement and I don’t want to see that happen,” Mr Xiao told reporters.

The ambassador said: “I hope they will stick to the ‘one-China policy’ in words and refrain from engaging with Taiwan in whichever form or capacity so that they will not be politically used by people in the island with political motives.”

The “one-China policy” holds that Taiwan is part of the People’s Republic of China.

The Chinese government accused Taiwan’s governing Democratic Progressive Party on Wednesday of seeking independence, a day after President Tsai Ing-wen lobbied for Australia’s support in joining a regional trade pact during a meeting with six visiting Australian lawmakers.

Former Australian prime minister Scott Morrison plans to speak at the Yushan Forum in Taipei from October 11 to 12, which focusses on Taiwan’s co-operation with neighbouring countries.

Australia’s relationship with China plummeted under Mr Morrison’s four-year rule, which ended when his conservative coalition government was defeated by the Labour Party in elections last year.

Mr Morrison remains an opposition lawmaker in Parliament.

This comes as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set later this year to become the first Australian leader to visit Beijing in seven years.

Taiwan has governed itself as the “Republic of China” since 1949, when the Chiang Kai-shek government fled there after defeat on the mainland.