United States Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns has put himself in a position that is hardly compatible with his diplomatic status by telling China how it should react to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to China's Taiwan island and how China should behave in handling cross-Straits relations.

He even went so far as to say that he thinks there's a lot of concern around the world that China has become "an agent of instability" in the Taiwan Straits.

This is both arrogant and ignorant.

As the US ambassador to China, he should have acquainted himself with the nature of the Taiwan question before talking about it.

If he had prepared for his job properly, he would understand that the Taiwan question is China's internal affair and that recognition of the one-China principle and the three joint communiques between China and the US are the political foundation for their relations.

If he had done his homework, he would also be familiar with the content of the three joint communiques. He would therefore be aware that Pelosi's reckless visit to Taiwan in her capacity as speaker of the US House of Representatives constitutes a violation of the US' commitment to only have unofficial relations with the island in recognition that there is but one China and the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing China.

He would also know that in the communique the two countries jointly issued on Aug 17, 1982, the US promised to reduce its arms sales to the island on the basis of its sales in 1979, and that instead of honoring that promise, the US has considerably increased its arms sales to the island.

The arms sales have raised the tensions across the Taiwan Straits and undermined the foundation of China-US relations.

With its continual and ever-growing arms sales to the island and provocative visits by its incumbent government officials, as well as other moves, it is the US that is acting as an agent of instability in the Taiwan Straits.

US politicians and diplomats are fond of telling other countries how to behave. But no foreign politicians or diplomats are in a position to tell China how it should act in handling cross-Straits relations.

Rather than the US administration and politicians, it is China that is entitled to tell the other side what to do and how to behave responsibly when it comes to the Taiwan question.

The Taiwan question is purely an internal matter of China. Burns' remarks show that Washington has not learned any lessons from its follies and humiliations and it continues to try and meddle in other countries' affairs.