BEIJING, Aug 12 (TASS) - Russia and other countries showed their support for the One China principle amid the escalation in the Taiwan Strait, Chinese Foreign Minister and State Councilor Wang Yi said in an interview with the national media published on Friday.

"China’s just and rational position evoked broad support," China’s top diplomat stressed.

"Russia, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Bangladesh, Greece, Turkey, New Zealand and other countries expressed their support for the One China principle on a bilateral and multilateral basis and also expressed the hope for maintaining a peaceful and stable international and regional situation," Wang Yi pointed out.

The situation in the Taiwan Strait and in the Asia-Pacific region escalated after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi paid a visit to Taipei on August 2-3, which drew sharp criticism from mainland China. Beijing had repeatedly warned Washington that it would take retaliatory measures, if the visit by Pelosi, the third highest-ranking official in the US government, would take place.

On August 4, the Chinese Army switched to sweeping live-fire drills with missile launches in six water areas around Taiwan. The maneuvers were expected to end on August 7 but were extended indefinitely. A spokesman for China’s Eastern Theater Command stated on August 10 that all the objectives of the drills had been accomplished but did not specify whether they had been completed.

Taiwan has been governed by its local administration since 1949 when the Kuomintang’s remaining forces headed by Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975) were defeated in the Chinese Civil War and took refuge on the island. Taiwan has preserved the flag and several other symbols of the Republic of China that had existed before the Communists took over the mainland. According to China’s official position supported by most countries, including Russia, the Island of Taiwan is one of China’s provinces.