In Commemoration of the 80th anniversary of Taiwan’s restoration

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations and the 80th anniversary of the restoration of Taiwan, China. A few days ago, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China set October 25 as Commemoration Day of Taiwan’s Restoration, and stipulated that commemorative activities in various forms can be held, which fully reflects the historical fact that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China.

Some friends may not know much about Taiwan question, so I would like to introduce its origin and nature and the correct attitude we should take on it.

The statement that Taiwan has belonged to China since ancient times has a sound basis in history. The earliest Chinese historical records about Taiwan can be traced back 1800 years ago. Since then, the central governments of China gradually strengthened the administrative bodies to exercise jurisdiction over Taiwan. In 1885, Taiwan was the 20th province of China. 

However, in the late Qing Dynasty, due to the invasion of foreign powers and the corruption of feudal rule, the Chinese nation suffered an unprecedented calamity. In 1894, Japanese launched an aggression war against China, and Taiwan and Penghu Islands as well were ceded by Qing government of China to Japan.

Taiwan question arose from a weak and divided China in the history, but the Chinese nation has never given up its struggle for sovereignty and dignity. The question of Taiwan’s status was fundamentally resolved on October 25, 1945, when the Chinese people won the great victory of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. On that day, the Chinese government, which was called then as the government of the Republic of China (ROC), announced the "resumption of the exercise of sovereignty over Taiwan" and held the "Surrender Ceremony of Taiwan Province in the China War Zone" in Taipei.

The restoration of Taiwan was an important achievement of the victory in the War of Resistance against Japan and an important part of the post-war international order. This victory was won by the Chinese people including our Taiwan compatriots through hard-fought battles and great sacrifices. It shall by no means be undermined by the false narratives of some western politicians.  

Shortly after Taiwan's restoration, China's civil war and external interference made the two sides of the Taiwan Strait into a prolonged state of political confrontation. But the fact remains unchanged that Taiwan has never been an independent country. In 1949, the Chinese people overthrew the ROC government, renamed the country the People's Republic of China (PROC), and established the Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China. It was the replacement of the old government by the new one, while China, as a subject of international law, stayed unchanged; and China’s sovereignty and inherent territorial boundaries stayed unchanged. Thus the government of PROC naturally and fully enjoys and exercises China’s sovereignty, including sovereignty over the Taiwan region.

The one-China principle is a fundamental norm of international relations and a universal consensus of the international community. The Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation and other documents of international law all recognized Taiwan, which was stolen by Japan, must be returned to China. In 1971, the U.N. General Assembly adopted Resolution 2758, making it clear "to restore all its rights to the People's Republic of China and to recognize the representatives of its Government as the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations”. This resolution settled once and for all the political and legal issues of China's representation in the UN, so there is no such thing as "two Chinas", "one China, one Taiwan" or “Taiwan Independence”. It was clearly stated in the official legal opinions of the Office of Legal Affairs of the U.N. Secretariat that “the U.N. considers ‘Taiwan’ as a Province of China with no separate status" and the “‘authorities’ in ‘Taipei’ are not considered to... enjoy any form of government status.” To date, 183 countries have established and developed diplomatic relations with China on the basis of the one-China principle.

The Taiwan issue must be resolved by the Chinese people ourselves. Although the Taiwan question has existed for more than 70 years, the shared history, culture, national responsibility, and future aspirations of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait have never been severed. Every one of the 23 million people in Taiwan is a member of the Chinese nation. As long as both sides of the Taiwan Strait recognize that they are Chinese, we can exchange talks and build consensus for the complete reunification of China. The Taiwan question arose from the weakness of the Chinese nation, and it will inevitably be resolved with the rejuvenation of the nation. 

By Zhang Kaibin
Consul General People's Republic of China